Gift of the Outcast
by KobaltWolf
Summary: Deidara left his past behind when he fled Iwagakure.  But what happens when she comes back to punch him in the face?  Contains OCs and is slightly AU.  Warnings: minor language and violence.
1. Away from the Tsuchikage's House We Go

**Title: **Gift of the Outcast

**Author: **KobaltWolf

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Minor language and violence

**Disclaimer: **I in no way own Naruto or any of its subsidiaries

A young, long-haired blonde boy glanced around the darkened street suspiciously, his eyes not staying on one place for more than a second. He couldn't have been more than 7 or 8, but his face was haggard and his body lean to the point of malnourishment. Something scuffled next to his boots, sending the boy jumping backwards, eyes wide. He smiled nervously as his eyes met the ruby stare of a curious rat. Self-consciously pulling on the ragged black gloves that clung to his hands, he continued in his skimming inspection of the street.

It appeared to be mostly deserted, the exception being the rather rare scavenging rat.

_Good_. The boy plopped down in the shadows of one of the single-story, stone buildings and, after a hesitant pause, breathed a heavy sigh, relief clear in his dulled aqua eyes.

He sank down slightly into the folds of his scraggly shawl, focusing simply on inhaling and exhaling. . . .inhale. . . .exhale. . . .inhale. . . .exhale. . . .as he tried to bring his heartbeat down to normal.

He wasn't having much luck.

_I should be used to this!_ He scolded himself mentally. _Don't be such a coward._

His hands curled into fists, knuckles turning white, and his face hardened, only to be replaced a moment later by a dejected passiveness. _Why?_

_Why is it always me?_ He tentatively rubbed his arms, wincing as he brushed against the not yet healed bruises and scrapes from the last angry mob.

_It's not fair_.

"I think he went over here!"

The boy's head shot up, a look of pure horror painted on his face. _It couldn't. . . . __How could I be found so quickly?_

His eyes widened as the tell-tale glow of a torch lit reflected off the wall of a hut a few yards away.

_No_.

He tucked his knees under his chin, arms locking around them as he adopted his normal defensive posture, burying his face between his limbs.

_I have to be strong._

The tell-tale taps of feet against gravel rebounded against the walls of the huts, pounding painfully against the boy's ears with every step.

_I have to._

Closer, closer.

_I have to._

They stopped just a few steps away from his curled up form. The boy cringed, preparing for the beating that was just around the corner.

_I have to be strong!_

In a split second decision, his form shot upwards, uncovering his palms in the process. The gloves fluttered down the ground silently as the boy stuffed his hands into his cloak, ready for the fight of his life. . . .

. . . .only to come face with a five year old girl.

"What the. . . ." His jaw dropped.

The girl stared at him, surprise written across her youthful face as wisps of her striking forest green hair flickered across it. "Um, hi?"

Silence.

The girl turned her lips downward slightly in a rather puzzled expression. "You alright?" she asked, experimentally waving her hand in front of his frozen face. "Hello? Anybody in there? Anybody at all?"

The boy might have responded, had he not been staring at her free, non-waving hand in shock. She was holding a torch, with no torch. Just fire. A ball of floating fire.

"Guh."

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Articulate aren't you." A playful smirk twisted on her lips.

That got him going. "Hey!" he spluttered indignantly, taking a step back. "Don't do that!"

"Do what?"

"Sneak up on me! What else? I could've _killed_ you," he whispered as he glanced around suspiciously. She might _look_ innocent, but for all he knew, she could be a spy sent to lull his senses.

She snorted, placing her free hand on her hip while still supporting the mysterious fire in the other. "Yeah, like _that's _ever going to happen."

He whipped his head around to face her, indignation sparking in his eyes as they brightened for just a second. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Her face immediately adopted an innocent expression. "Nothing. . . ." She quickly extinguished the fireball and guiltily tucked the offending hand behind her back, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at his annoyed glare.

"Fine, whatever! Its not like I care. But just who are you?"

"It's impolite to ask another's name before giving their own," she stated rebukingly. "But you must be pretty famous! There was a whole _bunch_ of people looking for you. Well, they might not be looking for _you_ specifically, but have you happened to see another blonde kid in a black coat?" Her face settled into a look of chaste happiness as she swung her arms from side to side.

Almost instantly, the color drained from the boy's face. "How far from here?" he whispered almost inaudibly.

The girl leaned towards him and cocked her head. "You need to speak up! I can barely hear you and besides. . . ."

Something moved a few dozen yards down the street.

The boy clamped his hand over her mouth and pulled the girl roughly into the shadows, fear clear in his eyes as he attempted to make himself look as small as possible.

"Mphhhh!" she yelled and pulled his hand away with unnatural strength. "What was that for!" she spluttered indignantly and rather loudly. "And is that a mouth? That's so _cool_!" She continued to babble as she grabbed his unusual hand, studying every inch of it with curious eyes.

"Be quiet!" he hissed, every bone in his body screaming with panic.

Too late.

"Hey! Who's there?" A man came into view a few yards away. Even from such a long distance, both children could see the triumphant scowl on his rough face. "Found you, freak!"

The boy pressed himself against the wall for support as his legs threatened to give out beneath his slender frame.

_No._

"Over here!" the man crowed victoriously. Scattered yells answered his own and a mob rapidly emerged from the shadows.

Neither the boy nor the quickly approaching mob noticed the look of determination that settled on the girl's face nor her hands curled into tightened balls, turning her knuckles white.

_No._

The blonde boy braced himself, hugging himself with his arms, protecting the vital organs.

The mob advanced with a ferocious fervor, random yowls piercing the night, though they remained in a collective group for the most part.

_No._

The girl growled and cracked her knuckles. She was ignored. A mere hindrance to be tossed aside.

_No._

One youth of 20 or 30 broke away from the crowd, roaring as he drew his fist back, ready to pound the boy in front of him to a pulp.

_No._

The girl was ignored.

_No._

The boy fell backwards, eyes wide in horror.

_No._

No one payed attention to the girl.

_No_.

No one noticed when she jumped forward and thrust out her hands.

_No._

However, everyone _did_ notice when a tower of fire burst outwards. . . .from her hands.

"_NO!"_ she screamed.

Roaring with fury, the flames cut just a few inches from the offender's face, sending him spiraling backwards in surprise.

For a moment, everything froze. Silence reigned in the frosted night air, the only sound being the incessant pounding of the girl's own heart.

Then all hell broke loose.

The mob broke into cacophonous disarray, their personal desires conflicting with one another as they dissolved from a purposeful army into a toppled anthill. A large portion turned to flee, while their more adamant comrades attempted to herd them back into order, not willing to face the unusual children alone.

In the chaos, the two children were forgotten, momentarily.

The boy had sunk to his knees and was shaking like there was no tomorrow.

Attempting to calm her erratic heartbeat, the girl knelt down his level. "Hey," she started, her voice soft and barely audible in the din.

No response.

"Are you alright?"

His blue gaze bored into her own golden amber, unresponsive. Suddenly, he lunged forward. "Watch out!"

"Huh?" the girl whirled around in a split second to see a silver dagger flying directly towards her shocked face.

_No._

None of the surrounding crowd could tell you exactly what happened next,but all would agree that one moment the dagger was about to bury itself in her skull, but the next, it was wedged in a small fortress of ice.

Blocked from the view of the crowd, the girl swiftly grabbed the blonde's hand and dashed away, practically towing him behind her. Her feet pounded against the ground, never faltering. The pair could hear stunned cries following their icy escape, but they were quickly drowned out by the calls of anger and rage that so many people bore in the hard times that shadowed the land.

Not until silence once again blessed her eardrums, did the girl halt. She leaned against the wall of an abandoned warehouse, panting hard in a failed attempt to lessen the burning of her lungs.

The boy just stared into space. _What happened?_

After only a minute of silence, the girl began to fidget, biting her lip as if debating something with herself. "Kyo."

"What?" The blonde jerked his head around to face the panting girl.

She rolled her eyes. "Baka. You asked what my name was. It's Kyo."

He blinked.

Sighing, the now-named Kyo plopped down beside him, tucking her knees beneath her chin. "Now I've given you mine. What's yours?"

The boy's brow furrowed, tensing slightly.

"Hey, I just rescued you. It's not like I'm going to stab you in the back _now._" She shrugged noncommittally.

"Deidara," he breathed finally. "It's Deidara."

~/~

"Kuso!" a forest-green haired girl swore as she dodged the attack of yet another ANBU, managing to nick the white bird mask on his face with a well-aimed kunai. Quick as a flash, he rolled onto his back and drove a kick into the greenette's gut, sending her flying backwards.

Without hesitation, she grabbed a tree branch and flipped herself upwards, landing gracefully on her feet, muscles tensed as she gingerly rubbed her stomach. "What is it with you people? You never, freakin' _stop_!Didn't I teach you a lesson the _last_ time you came around? Or did the volcano just not make an impression?" she taunted mockingly, placing her hands on her hips and golden eyes flashing.

The ANBU remained dutifully silent as he flicked several kunai at her head, which she dodged with unnatural ease, skidding a few feet towards the ancient plant's trunk.

"You're going to have to do better than _that!_ Or is that all you got?"

More kunai.

"Fine, then might as well end this."

She disappeared from the branch, the only sign that she had ever been there being a slight breeze that ever so slightly rustled the newly budded leaves.

The ANBU's eyes widened as she appeared behind him, a sadistic grin on her youthful face as she pulled her hand back for the finishing blow, only to be countered by yet another masked ninja.

"Tch." She slid backwards several yards, the grin still on her face. "Guess that Ōnoki-sama really _does_ miss me. I'm touched." Her lips twisted downwards in a playful pout.

Her luminescent eyes flickered to the side, narrowing subtly. Suddenly, barrage of mud barreled down from above, straight towards the figure of the teenage girl.

But she was gone before it hit, the mud boring a spiraling crater in the earth.

As the dust cleared, the third ANBU landed silently next to his companions. "Kōri-en no Kyo, you are hereby charged with treason and, therefore, shall be executed immediately." His eyes darted around the clearing for a response.

Nothing.

Abruptly, a torrent of flame burst from the cover of the trees, incinerating everything in its path, plants and animal matter alike. With a collective gasp, the ANBU dove to either side, but they could not escape it completely. The bird-masked ANBU ground out a strangled hissed as the flames brushed his foot, instantly searing the flesh. They managed to perform a duck-and-roll to crouch a few meters from their enemy.

The girl known as Kyo widened her maniac grin slightly. "Bye, bye, boys."

The enemy ninjas had no time to register what happened before their chakra signatures flickered out.

Silence surrounded the clearing as she stalked calmly forward, kneeling to down so as to come face to face with the icy, flash-frozen figures that had once been loyal ANBU of Iwagakure.

"Tch. Too easy."

_BOOM!_

"_NANI!_" the girl cried out in surprise as the corpses blew up just inches from her face. In the split second before she was incinerated by the blast, it was all she could do to form a wall of ice around her body.

Shrapnel tore against the frozen fortress, but it remained standing, though deep gashes were driven through its crystalline surface.

Kyo's eyes were wide with morbid interest as she stared at the spot where the enemy ninja had once lain. "I should've expected that. They were ANBU after all." The ice around her disintegrated into a puddle of water. "But did they have to do it in the middle of my _camp_? That was just plain inconsiderate," she grumbled, picking herself up as she dusted off her white hoodie top and mini shorts, adjusting the fishnet that wrapped around her otherwise bare stomach.

"Now I have to go buy entirely _new _supplies. You know I had thirty packages of pocky in there? Thirty, freakin' _packages!_" she yelled at the sky, hands balled into fists.

Sighing, she cracked her knuckles and glanced around curiously. "Okay, so Konoha was supposed to be around here. . . .somewhere. Right?" she asked no one in particular, twiddling her thumbs together. "They just had to blow up the map. Which way to go." Kyo paused.

"Eenie. Meenie. Miney. Mo. . . ."

~/~

"What is your mission here?" The deliverer of the question stared unblinkingly at the slumped blonde figure that sat in the center of the room. Its hands and feet, as well as its neck, were bound to the chair with chains while a chakra seal pulsated lightly around its form.

After a moment of silence, the figure raised its head revealing a slightly gender neutral face with heavily slanted features. "Like I'm going to tell _you_." The voice was clearly male and was adopted in an extremely mocking tone. He spat at the other's feet, aqua eyes flashing.

The standing figure leaned forward slightly. "You will tell me. And you will tell me now."

The blonde grinned subtly. "You obviously don't know me very well."

"Well, whatever the case, we'll get to know each other _very_ well, _very_ soon, Deidara of the Akatsuki."


	2. The Apockylypse

**Title: **Gift of the Outcast

**Author: **KobaltWolf

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Minor language and violence

**Disclaimer: **I in no way own Naruto or any of its subsidiaries

"I will ask this again. What is your mission in Konohagakure?" The scarred figure stared unflinchingly down at the blonde Akatsuki member, who glared right back with his own turquoise gaze.

Silence.

The scarred man just kept staring.

_Baka._ Deidara cursed at his own stupidity. How could he have gotten captured? Him. The passionate, explosive artist of the Akatsuki organization. It was unthinkable, _unbelievable_.

The blonde rotated his jaw slightly in thought as he recalled the unfortunate mission that lead him into this unfortunate situation.

Leader-sama had sent him and his infernal, idiotic, complete moron of a partner, Tobi, on a surveillance mission of Konoha. Deidara's eye twitched as he remembered the contact they were supposed to meet with. The blonde had sent Tobi to wait in the forest. The orange lollipop incarnate would only have gotten in the way.

So, the artist had continued with the meeting. Then his stupid contact turned out to be a freakin' loyal _Jonin_ and he had invited all of his little Konoha friends to the party, including Kakashi-teme and some guy who could use mokuton similar to that of the Shodai Hokage.

And then, wait for it, the Godaime Hokage herselfhad shown up for the occasion. Oh,_ kami_, could that woman pack a punch. Deidara winced as he remembered her fist connecting with his gut. He _definitely_ wouldn't be doing sit-ups any time soon.

The blonde had then been knocked out, courtesy of the Godaime, and he had woken up tied to a chair in the middle of some kami-forsaken torture-chamber with this scar guy attempting to weasel answers out of him. Deidara had to admit that he was pretty good, but Deidara was a member of the _Akatsuki_, the most feared organization in all of the five shinobi nations. He wasn't going to be cracked by some half-wit Konoha weakling.

Never the less, the blonde had been emitting small amounts of chakra for some time now, hoping for his partner to notice and come to his aid. An ordinary ninja would have no hope of sensing it, but Tobi was an Akatsuki. He was not ordinary.

Then again, Tobi _was_ an idiot. The lollipop was probably chasing butterflies somewhere in the hills of the Hi no Kuni.

Deidara growled at the thought. Oh, Tobi was _so_ dead when he got out of here.

~/~

"Do you have pocky?"

The store owner glanced down at the forest-green haired girl that was currently staring earnestly at him with huge golden eyes. Uncertainty crossed his face as he slowly shook his head no.

Then she was gone.

He blinked his eyes in utter surprise as he stumbled backwards, tipping over his newest platter of ribs. "Ah!"

Kyo appeared at the next restaurant, a rice shop, in under a second. "Do _you_ sell pocky?"

Her question was answered with a shaking head.

She had disappeared before he even stopped his head from moving.

"Do you sell pocky?"

"How 'bout you?"

"Pocky?"

"Any pocky at all. . . ."

The greenette was just a blur among the shops of Konoha, her voice becoming more and more desperate.

_Last shop_. She stared up at the sign. _Ichiraku's Ramen_. Inhaling deeply, she reverently stepped into the street-side stand. "Do. You. Sell. Pocky." She slammed her hands down on the counter, staring the owner of the shop unblinkingly, her voice nearly breaking with expectation.

"Um, no."

She deflated.

"But we do have pocky-_flavored_ ramen."

Another one of Ichiraku's chairs was suddenly occupied. "That'll work. Ten bowls please!"

Teuchi raised an eyebrow and a small smile blessed his withered face. "Coming right up."

Kyo waited impatiently, twiddling her fingers together as she swung her feet tentatively. Her eye twitched as the smell of freshly baked ramen teased her nose like an angel from. . . .

"Hey!"

The greenette was startled from her thoughts by a rather loud, overly-friendly voice. She turned her head abruptly towards the source of the sound, her two side braids whipping violently across her face before falling back into their normal positions.

Her golden eyes met with a pair of bright blue ones framed with a mess of blonde hair. A look of surprised recognition flickered across her face before being replaced by an irritated glare. "What do you want?" Kyo asked, her voice unnecessarily harsh, contrasting greatly with her previous cheer.

The boy looked taken back. "I just wanted to ask who you were! I haven't seen you around here before and I was just wondering. . . ." his voice trailed off.

Her eyes softened slightly.

"No need to get so annoyed!"

She winced, rubbing her ear with the back of her hand. There was that loudness again, just without the over-friendliness. _Definitely not him. . . ._

"None of your business, blondie."

"Well, _excuse. . . ._wait, what did you just call me, dattebayo?" He stood up roughly, attempting to intimidate her with his more than ample height.

Kyo shot up as well, and though she barely came up to his shoulder, she still gave him an impressive death glare. It was enough to freeze most Jonin in their tracks. _Like I care. _"You heard me, _blondie_."

"Why you little. . . ."

Of course, this guy was to much of an idiot to realize the danger he was in.

The greenette hissed menacingly under her breath, but it went unnoticed.

"Of course, I would never hit a girl, especially if she's not a shinobi, dattebayo." The blonde puffed up his chest proudly, flashing his Konohagakure headband in the sun like he was the king of the world.

Her eyebrow twitched. _Idiot. _"And what makes you think I'm _not_ a shinobi?"

He snorted. "Isn't it obvious? _All_ shinobi have a forehead-protector, even missing-nin. And, last time I checked, you didn't." He thrust his face into her own seething one.

In a flash, the blonde was groaning on the floor with a rather large, still-growing bump on his forehead. Kyo sat on top of his chest, eyes sparking indignantly as a vein pulsed relentlessly on her temple. "How _dare_ you! Of course I'm a shinobi, you idiot. I'm in a freakin' shinobi _village_!" She pulled her fist back, charging it with a rather menacing ball of fire. . . .

"_Order up!_"

The boy blinked as her eyes switched from murderous to sparkling without warning, and then, she was gone. However the scream of "POCKY!" did accompany her disappearance.

He glanced around frantically until his eyes fell on the green-haired figure currently employed in shoving ramen into its mouth. Flipping cautiously to his feet, he tip-toed behind her, peering over her shoulder.

He grimaced.

Heck, this girl made _him_ look like a proper gentlemen. How did she swallow all that food?

"What'cha doing?"

The blonde jumped backwards, blue eyes wide.

The girl was glaring pointedly at him, hands on her hips.

_She isn't even wiping her mouth_.

"Well? Are you going to answer or what, blondie?"

He scowled. "Don't call me that, dattebayo!"

"I'd rather not. . . .blondie."

Still scowling, he raised his chin and stalked to a seat at the other end of the bar, not making eye contact with the smirking Kyo.

Teuchi glanced warily between the two, narrowing his eyes suspiciously in Kyo's direction. She growled under her breath.

_Why do people always automatically blame me? Not everything is my fault!_

_Uh, yeah, most of it is._

_But they shouldn't just _assume_ that. . . . _

Kyo quickly bit off the end of the thought. _SHUT UP!_

The greenette's fingers twitched slightly as the corners of her lips turned downward in a tense frown. _Distraction._ "My supplies blew up."

"Huh?" Teuchi angled his body halfway towards her, surprise written clearly in the wrinkles.

She rolled her eyes. _Good._ "I'm talking to blondie."

Said blonde glanced up at his nickname before quickly scowling down at his ramen. "So what?"

"You asked me what I was doing here. My supplies blew up in a. . . .jutsu gone wrong. I'm restocking. . . ." The line of speech dissolved into indignant mutterings. Something about pocky.

Shock fluttered across his face, but it was quickly replaced by an indifferent stare. "Hm."

Kyo leaned back slightly. "I volunteered info, now it's your turn."

"What'cha want to know?" His sapphire eyes blinked almost expectantly.

She twiddled her thumbs. "Let's start with something easy. Name?"

"Yours first."

Her lips stretched into a grin. _So he's not as dumb as he looks._ "Kyo."

"Naruto."

She cocked her head, her visage openly bemused. "Fishcake?"

"Wha'? No!" Hurt flickered across his face as Naruto glared at her, muscles contracting as he prepared to leap from his seat.

She raised her hands defensively. "Hey, hey, don't take it so personally, blondie. I didn't mean anything by it."

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!"

"Would you rather I called you 'fishcake?'"

After a moment more of defiance, the blonde slumped backwards in his seat. "Whatever, dattebayo."

"Okay, then, it's settled. Nice to meet you, fishcake!"

"IT'S NARUTO!"

"So you prefer blondie?"

". . . .fine."


	3. Blondes Are Annoying

**Title: **Gift of the Outcast

**Author: **KobaltWolf

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Minor language and violence

**Disclaimer: **I in no way own Naruto or any of its subsidiaries

"No, pocky is _way_ better."

"Ramen beats all."

"Yeah, right! Ramen isn't coated in chocolate."

"Chocolate ramen is, dattebayo!"

"That even_ sounds _gross."

Teuchi glanced nervously between his number one customer and the green-haired newcomer as they continued to bicker, rather pointlessly, over snack foods. The pair were head to head, foreheads nearly touching, each with a scowl on their face and a glare that could pulverize steel.

"It is not, dattebayo!"

"Oh, yes it is. I mean come_ on._ Chocolate ramen?"

"Yes, _chocolate _ramen_._"

"Well, pocky comes in strawberry!"

"So does ramen."

"Ramen takes time to make."

"Not if it's instant."

Naruto jumped onto the counter, blue eyes blazing. "Face it, ramen is superior, dattebayo!"

Kyo leaped up next to him. "Never!"

"Oi!"

The pair glanced down at Teuchi. The old man was glaring at them, irritation written in every line on his face. "Get. Off. The. Counter. _Now._"

~/~/~/~

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, guiltily glancing over at the pouting Kyo. "I never knew Teuchi-san could be so scary." He closed his eyes, shuddering audibly.

"Pocky!" The greenette moaned in response, clutching her stomach.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Okaaay. Um, so why don't you tell me about yourself?" he suggested, obviously trying to get away from the obsession with pocky.

She went silent. "What do you want to know?" Her voice was taut.

The blonde didn't seem to pick up on the undercurrent of tension. "I don't know. . . .like, what village are you from?"

"None of your business."

"Rank?"

"Why should you care?"

The blonde fidgeted in the following silence. "Okay, um, hobbies?" he tried weakly, not expecting much of an answer.

Kyo immediately seemed to perk up. "Let's see. . .ice-sculpting's cool. . .making my own weapons. . .explosions. . .pocky. . ." She nodded resolutely at her own list.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips at the sound of a response.

_Enough about me. _"You?"

Naruto glanced up, uncertainty flickering through his eyes, before he straightened up proudly. "Training to become the next Hokage, dattebayo!" He flashed a self-confident grin.

"Nice." _Like that's ever going to happen._

_Well, at least he's got spirit._

_It's just plain foolish if you ask me._

_I _didn't_ ask you._

_Will you two SHUT UP!_

". . . .family?"

The greenette cast a blank glance in his direction. "What?"

"What's your family like, dattebayo?"

Her liquid golden eyes darkened. "Don't have any." _He left a long time ago._

Naruto opened his mouth, his eyes screaming sympathy, but Kyo beat him to it. "Enough with the questions," she stated, her voice cold as ice. "We need to find pocky."

He nodded quickly. _She's scary._ "Uh, I think there's a few stands on the edge of town. . . ."

The greenette nodded absently, tucking one of her braids behind her ear as the wind changed direction. Abruptly, her hand dropped limply to her side, eyes wide.

". . . .might have it. I'm not sure, though. I've never actually looked for pocky, dattebayo." Naruto babbled. He winced, practically hearing the biting response that was coming his way.

Silence.

"Oi, what's the matter with—" he started, glancing to his side testily. . . .only to come face to face with thin air.

~/~/~/~

_It can't be._

A distorted breeze whipped through the market-place of Konoha. Though a gust or two was a common occurrence in the narrow streets, several geese squawked, nervously fluttering their clipped wings as they pecked at the locks of their cages.

_He left._

A young girl, a member of the Inuzuka clan judging from the tattoos on her cheeks, carried an injured dog across the dirt street, carefully judging each step so as not to drop the canine, though her efforts were in vain as the dog suddenly barked ferociously at thin air. Startled at the sound, the animal slipped from her arms, colliding harshly with gravel, but its relentless howling continued.

_He said he'd never come back._

"Oi, what's the matter!" The girl stooped down to the canine's level, stroking its downy ears in attempt to calm its abrupt mood. A trace of wind drifted in front of the pair.

_Never again._

Her nostrils flared suspiciously. The barking increased.

_Chikushou, baka!_

The Inuzuka kunoichi's eyes narrowed as a green-haired figure appeared at the end of the alley before again disappearing. She took a step to follow.

"Oi, Hana, hurry up!"

Hana's head whipped around at the unmistakable call of her mother. She swallowing anxiously. _It doesn't have anything to do with me._ She silently reassured herself as she hefted the still growling dog into her arms.

"Coming!"

_Deidara._

~/~/~/~

Two Konoha ANBU stood erect outside a pair of glinting iron doors. Silence reigned throughout the deserted alley, not even the rustle of the shinobi's breathing disturbed the placid scene.

Then, without any noticeable provocation, a kunai shot from one of the ANBU's cloaks, colliding with what seemed to be thin air. The tell-tale _ping_ of metal-against-metal resounded through the street.

Both shinobi reached for more kunai, but their hands never reached their desired weapons.

Kyo materialized between them, tapping the shoulder of one of the white-masked figures.

No response.

"Keh." The greenette made a quick hand sign and then disappeared again, the previously seemingly impervious metal doors brutally ripped apart at the hinges, the edges still glowing with heat.

Silence descended once more as sun glinted off the figures that had once been shinobi of Konoha, revealing a thin layer of snowy ice.

~/~/~/~

Kyo scanned the hall for possible threats. Several frozen shinobi decorated the halls like marble statues, their faces still snarling or cowering, whichever they may be. Rotating her jaw, she closed her eyes in concentration.

_Click._

Her eyes shot open at the tell-tale sound of a radio.

"Urgent—" Silence. The offending shinobi was dead before he could even finish his plea for help, his throat slit with a sliver of ice.

But some _did_ get through. "Kuso!" she hissed, punching the wall beside her. Several spidery cracks wound their way around her balled fist.

_Calm down._

Inhaling deeply, her eyes slowly closed once again, eyebrows drawn and tense as she let her senses spread out around her. Several chakra signatures met her scrutiny.

_No, no, no. . . ._

_There!_ Her eyes snapped open.

To any ordinary shinobi's eye, it would have looked like she had simply disappeared. She flashed into the human spectrum a few feet away only to disappear once more.

Kyo ran. Her legs dissolving into numbness as she continued her furious pace. Guards fell left and right, their faces frozen in horror, skin glinting with ice.

No shinobi, not even the ANBU elite shinobi, could stand before her in her blind desperation. She didn't even spare a pair of security a glance as their chakra flickered out.

_Weak._

Suddenly, she flattened herself to the ground. Any watching would have wondered if her legs had collapsed beneath her, but a millisecond later, several kunai whizzed through the air that her head had just occupied.

In a flash, she raised her hands to block a well-aimed kick, and, though the blunt damage was avoided, the sheer force of the strike sent her flying into the opposite wall, leaving a small crater from the collision. However, before the greenette could fall to the ground and escape with a quick shun-shin, tree roots burst forth from the cement, wrapping around her limbs and roughly pinning her to the wall.

Kyo's golden eyes widened in surprise as a silver-haired man appeared in front of her, his one visible eye scanning her lazily, the other covered by both his headband and a linen mask. "I suppose your the one who killed the guards?"

She smirked. "So what if I did?"

Another man, this one with a mask style fore-head protector that framed his face, appeared behind his partner. "You seem awfully cocky for someone at an obvious disadvantage," he stated, calmly blinking.

She cocked her head, visage playing puzzled. "Who ever said that I was at a disadvantage?" Then she was gone, the previously firm wood having been reduced to mere, still sparking, ash.

Both shinobi's eyes widened as she appeared behind them, leaning between them. A maniac grin adorned her youthful face. "Because I _do_ believe that fire trumps wood."

The pair was barely able to dodge the following fireball, flames licking at their clothes and skin searing from the pure heat wave. They skidded to opposite sides of the hall gasping for breath as the oxygen was sucked from the atmosphere by the ravaging fire.

The silver-haired one sighed. "I guess we shouldn't draw this out, then." He raised a hand to his covered eye, hesitating ever so slightly, so slightly that an untrained eye would have completely skipped over it, before pulling his headband up.

Kyo grinned at the Sharingan revealed. "So you must be the Copy Ninja Kakashi, right? It's an honor to meet you, really! I've heard so much about you, mostly bad of course, but Iwa is biased against you. I mean, you blew up that bridge-that-I-can't-remember-the-name-of and turned the tide of the Third Great Shinobi World War against them, so I can kind of sympathize with. . . ." She continued to babble, apparently oblivious to the silent exchange between the two Konoha shinobi.

Kakashi subtly dipped is head, never lowering his gaze from the questionably insane greenette.

Silence reigned, broken only by the inconsistent ramblings of Kyo herself.

"NOW!"

Wood erupted from the floor, viciously diving at the still-babbling girl. . .only to strike thin air.

However, none could escape the Sharingan, no matter how fast. Kakashi watched in awe as the greenette flipped herself upwards to land on the ceiling. He watched as chakra charged to her tensed feet. He watched as she tugged a glinting kunai from her sleeve. He watched as she dove towards his partner. He watched as a sneer twisted its way across her face. He watched as her weapon neared the mokuton-wielder's throat. Never once did she dissolve back into the range of normal human sight.

Neither did Kakashi.

_Ping!_

The girl's eyes widened as her kunai met with another. Her shocked gaze raised to the level of her assailant, gold locking with red and black tomoe as Kakashi and Kyo flickered into human vision.

"You can see my movements," she stated. The sneer retreated. . . .

Silence.

. . . .only to be replaced by a smirk. "But can you match them?"

A hiss escaped his lips as he registered the kick that was headed towards his head. His arms raised reflexively, but gasped, shock clear on his face, as her other leg collided with his gut. The silver-haired-nin skidded back several feet, managing to dodge the brunt of a barrage shuriken, though a few managed to draw small slivers of blood, one coming within centimeters of his jugular.

"Yamato!" he barked.

The shinobi, now proclaimed as Yamato, nodded sharply, pulling out a wireless transmitter.

Kyo growled and dove towards the mokuton-user only to be countered by Kakashi. She grinned. "You know, if you're not going to be a good sport, where's the fun in playing?"

"Urgent back-up needed in the ANBU Torture and Interrogation center. Hostile is skilled and danger—"

Static filled the room.


	4. Backstabbers and Why Not to Use Drugs

**Title: **Gift of the Outcast

**Author: **KobaltWolf

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Minor language and violence

**Disclaimer: **I in no way own Naruto or any of its subsidiaries

"Not my best work, but, hey, what can you do?" Kyo grinned, scanning the forms of her newest creations.

Kakashi's kunai was inches from her chest while Yamato's finger had yet to release from the radio. Neither were moving.

_Gotta make sure. _The greenette cracked her knuckles, golden eyes adopting a deranged glow as she prepared to smash the pair to bits.

_Who's at a disadvantage now?_

Her hand flashed downwards, adrenaline coursing through her veins. . . .only to stop centimeters from Kakashi's frozen head.

_And at a time like this._

Pain suddenly shot through her torso, clawing at her thoughts like an angry bear. Kyo gasped, falling to her knees as the agony continued. Her hands gripped the end of the katana that was shoved through her chest. _Poison._

"Got you." A distinctly feminine voice breathed a sigh of relief.

Kyo turned her head slightly, allowing a smile to etch its way across her lips.

_Too late._

And with that thought, the girl disintegrated into a mound of ice, leaving an entire division of puzzled ANBU rooted to the spot, a female Jonin wielding a bloodied katana at their front.

~/~/~/~

_Kuso._

Kyo collapsed against the wall, glancing down at her chest. A dark burgundy blotch was quickly tracing its way across her white shirt.

_She missed the vital spot._

The greenette hissed as another wave of pain battered her body.

_Why?_

She doubled over, coughing haggardly as she heaved for breath.

_Guess it's as good a time as any. I've been waiting to try this out._

She reached into her hoodie, shuffling around for a moment, before producing a bottle of unmarked pills. Her hands twitched involuntarily as she quickly overturned the container.

_No time for manners._ _It's not fatal, but there's no way I'm staying here for them to find me._

The strange medicine spilled across the floor, her fingers grappling for a single capsule among the throng.

_Got it._

Kyo downed the pill without a second thought. Her throat working overtime so as to swallow the ample-sized capsule without the assistance of water.

_Pain is what we all must overcome. Isn't that right, Onoki-sama?_

The girl leaned heavily against the wall, eyes blinking impatiently as she waited for the medicine to take effect, whatever said effect may be. _Inhale. . .exhale. . .inhale. . .exhale. . ._

_Nothing._

Suddenly, she gasped, eyes huge. Her hands involuntarily clawed at her own throat, fingers forming sickles as she attempted to spit the pill back out.

_Too late._

Her mouth opened in a silent scream, irises momentarily flashing a vivid orange ringed with malicious blue, before collapsing unconscious to the ground, eyes still open.

~/~/~/~

"Kakashi-san! Yamato-senpai!" The female Jonin dashed towards her frozen comrades. She quickly did a once over. _They're still emitting chakra._ "Get Tsunade-sama!"

"Hai, Shizune-san!"

Shizune ignored them as she stared at two of Konoha's best. "Who did this?" she muttered to herself.

"Nani?"

The kunoichi turned sharply to the side at the voice of one of her ANBU companions. "N-nothing. Find the hostile. I definitely got in a major hit, not fatal, but it should slow her down. I'm sure Tsunade-sama will want to have a talk with her."

~/~/~/~

Kyo slowly blinked her eyes, a groggy film still shading their golden glory, in an attempt to adjust to the dank lighting. She yawned, contemptuously stretching her arms.

"Huh, wonder why Onoki-sama wanted to keep those from me. . .that's the best sleep I've had in weeks," she mumbled, her lips stretching in the beginning of yet another yawn. Her gaze trailed down to her shirt.

_Stained._

She brushed her fingers tentatively over the burgundy blotch.

_Dry._

"Wonder how long I was aslee—" Her musings were cut short as her eyes shot wide. "Crap."

Without hesitation, her body shot backwards, bending at an almost unnatural angle so as to perform a 360° flip in midair. The moment her feet touched the opposite wall, chakra charged to her feet, sending her body ricocheting towards the ceiling.

_Tick. Tick. Tick._

Kyo's glare flashed downwards, locking for less than a second on the senbon embedded in her previous location, before it flicked onward.

_Linear._

With that one miniscule thought, her sight made a beeline for the shadow drenched corridor across from her.

_Found you._

She channeled chakra to her hands, grabbing the ceiling and flipping herself into an upside-down crouch, her muscles sliding into place with practiced ease.

She formed a quick hand-sign.

"Hyoton: Aisudomu," she muttered.

A grin wove its way across her face as she inhaled.

_Bye, bye._

Ice exploded from her mouth as air was violently dispelled from her lungs. Almost immediately, a cloud of condensation shrouded the hall, foreign, craggy shapes racing their way through the mist.

A cry of surprise echoed through the hall only to be cut short by a sickening crackling noise.

_Gone._

The greenette promptly swiveled her head in the opposite direction. The grin had disappeared, a painful grimace in its place.

As she tensed her muscles, a thought fluttered through her mind.

_Deidara?_

~/~/~/~

"Keh!"

Deidara gasped as another sword was driven through his gut.

_Genjutsu. Genjutsu. Genjutsu._

The mantra repeated over and over in his head.

His chakra spiked as yet another weapon pierced his body.

Unconsciously, his fingers curled into sickles, through it did little good seeing as he was pinned to a wall.

"_You will tell me your mission."_

The blonde bit down hard on his lip so as to drown the growing scream. A small bead of blood welled from the self-inflicted wound. Despite this, the edges of his mouth curled upward in a smirk. "Go. To. Hell. Un."

"_You will tell me, _now._"_

The blonde's scream echoed through the room.

~/~/~/~

Kyo's eyes widened as a blood-curdling scream met her ears.

"DEIDARA!"

Chakra poured into her feet as she exploded from her perch on the ceiling, eyes darting anxiously to-and-fro as the corridors sped past.

_Kuso!_

She skidded to a stop, flipping herself in the opposite direction while still in mid-air, before speeding down a seemingly random corridor. The greenette's visage had dissolved into one of grim determination, devoid of expressive emotion.

Several cries of surprise ricocheted from the halls behind her.

_Discovered._

Her legs dissolved into a frenzy of movement.

_There._

A hiss escaped her lips as she made a sharp left, her leg fleetly kicking the wall so as change her trajectory.

_How dare they._

Kyo's eyes narrowed as they locked on the single door at the end of the hallway.

_They have no right._

She inhaled in mid-leap.

_It's always the same._

Her golden eyes flashed with unbridled fury.

_They have no right._

Fire exploded from her mouth, roaring with the shear intensity of the livid flames. As the inferno blazed against the door, melting the steel by the second, her somber expression faded into a sadistic grin

_I'LL KILL THEM ALL!_

~/~/~/~

There are three things that interrogators hate. Like, _really_ hate.

Number one: working overtime.

Number two: being interrupted during one of their 'sessions.'

And number three: having their door burned down by insane, sadistic greenette with a flair for complete and utter destruction.

Ibiki was not having a good day. First, the Hokage called him to work on his _only_ break day during the whole _month_ to interrogate some S-class criminal that he couldn't care less about_._

Then, a giant explosion compromised the structural integrity of his interrogation room, causing several large pieces of stone to collapse from the ceiling.

And, finally, some maniacal girl with green hair destroyed his door with a tornado of fire and then, wait for it, punched him through a wall.

Yep, _definitely_ not having a good day.

Ibiki growled as he forced himself upright, blood already seeping down his neck.

_Concussion._

His eyes widened as he registered the kick headed directly for his head.

_Too late._

_WHAM!_

She casually brushed the dust off her hands as the man slammed into the ground, his face distorted in shock.

_Breathing._

She turned on her heel, not even deigning to move the man's unconscious body from its crater.

_Cameras._

Several kunai shot from her sleeve, puncturing the lenses that peered greedily down at her. A sound of shouting echoed from down the hall.

_Reinforcements._

The greenette quickly flashed a hand-sign.

_Hyoton: Aisusupaiku_

The ceiling crumbled dangerously as a barrage of ice spikes jutted from every direction, effectively forming a crystalline bramble above, below, and around the room's single entrance. She grinned slightly as she appraised her work.

"And you would be?"

The greenette nearly jumped out of her skin at the resonating, surprisingly deep voice. With a small eye-roll at her own stupidity, she whirled around, not forgetting the necessary flourish. Her golden eyes sparked in recognition, before once settling into content cynicism.

"Aw, I'm hurt." She pouted. "You don't recognize your old friend?"

Deidara sat, slightly slumped, in his chair, his gaze scanning her appraisingly. A wry smirk twisted his lips. "No. I'm afraid I don't."

She breezed over to stand above the blonde's nearly limp form, bending down so as to whisper into his ear. She nearly spat out her next words. "How cruel, eh, _baka_?"

"Hey! Who you call—" His protests were cut short, mouth still hanging open as his eyes widened.

_No._

From behind him, topaz irises flashed.

_It can't be._

"Ah, so you _do_ remember."

He paled.

_Kyo._

~/~/~/~

**Hey, peoplz! I know this chapter may seem a little weird, but it will make sense in several chapters, so don't be put off by it! Also, please REVIEW! I want to know how I can improve my work, and I can't do that without suggestions.**

**Peace out peoplz!**

**KobaltWolf**


	5. Kyo vs the Spandex

**Title: **Gift of the Outcast

**Author: **KobaltWolf

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Minor language and violence

**Disclaimer: **I in no way own Naruto or any of its subsidiaries

"Y-y-you're—"

Kyo ears perked and she slapped a hand over Deidara's stuttering mouth. "Yes, yes, I'm Kyo. Get over it, _baka,_" she hissed, menace clear in her voice.

_Oh, I'm so in for it, un._ He grimaced.

Footsteps sounded outside the icy barrier that had once been a door.

She growled. "We have company." Her head whirled around to come face-to-face with the blonde once more. "Chakra seal type?"

Silence.

"_Well_?"

Deidara glared pointedly at the hand over his mouth.

Recognition dawned on the greenette's face. "Oh!" She quickly retracted her hand, rubbing it guiltily.

"You think, un?"

"Will you just answer the question!"

"How am I supposed to know, un?"

"You could have taken the time out of _incredibly_ busy day to check_. _How did you _think_ you were gonna be rescued? Was the freakin' thing going to _magically_ break?"

"Well, I thought that my rescuer, not that I needed one, was going to be someone _competent_ enough to break a simple _chakra seal,_ un!"

"Oh, maybe I should just let you rescue yourself if your so _smart._ I mean, you in all your competence should be able to break a _simple_ chakra seal."

"I was too busy being _tortured_ to check, un!"

"_That's_ your excuse?"

"You implying something, un?"

"Well, you _are_ an S-class missing-nin after all. I'd think that you'd be strong enough to withstand a wee bit of torture."

"A wee bit? I've been in here for an entire freakin' _week,_ un!"

"I've gone through worse."

"Really. Name one, un."

"Uh. . . ."

"EXACTLY!"

"Maybe I should just leave you here to die then?" Kyo raised her chin haughtily.

The fuming blonde opened his mouth to give a stinging reply.

"—but you would never be able to rescue yourself. After all, _I'm_ always the one who has to get you out of tough situations. Eh, _baka?_" She flashed a feral grin as her knuckles cracked dangerously.

Deidara's sapphire eyes narrowed, but a retort failed to construct itself.

Kyo slowly bent down to his level, locking gold gaze with blue. "_Exactly_."

_BOOM!_

The pair whirled around only to come face-to-face with Kyo's now destroyed icy fortress. The greenette's eyes widened in surprise as she registered the green-spandex-clad kick aimed for her head.

_Kuso._

Almost involuntarily, she flipped herself to the side, hand brushing the ground with a wisp of chakra as the kick flashed past her head. Air violently whipped her side-braids as she launched herself upward, hopefully away from her unknown enemy. . . .only to come face to face with a set of abnormally large eyebrows. Well, there was a face to go with the eyebrows, but the _eyebrows. . . ._

She shuddered.

And then it started talking.

"I, Konoha's Sublime Green Beast of Prey, shall defeat you evil-doer and avenge my fellow comrade and rival, Kakashi who you so. . . ."

Her eye twitched as the green-clad idiot rambled on. Something about the _Flames of Youth_?

_Baka._

~/~/~/~

Maito Gai was having the time of his life. Finally, he would be able to show the populace of Konoha his Power of Youth by defeating the person who so easily dispatched his rival Kakashi.

_Yosh!_

He was currently expressing his youthful pride to the unyouthful looking, eagle-eyed greenette before him.

And then she punched him.

Through a wall.

Gai's back slammed into the unforgiving concrete as his eyes widened in minute realization.

_It's not for nothing that she defeated Kakashi._

His gaze turned somber, sparking in the shadowed light. Then he was gone.

_And it's not for nothing that I'm Kakashi's number one rival._

_BAM!_

His leg crashed into the greenette's gut. Or, at least it slammed into where the greenette's gut _should_ have been.

_Impossible._

And then he felt a kunai at his throat. "Too slow." It came out as a strangled sneer, her voice full of loathing.

_How unyouthful._

He felt her muscles subtly shift as a cobra about to strike.

"GAI-SENSEI!"

_CRACK!_

Well, that one connected.

The greenette was sent flying backwards as Gai's number one student slammed his foot into her face. Then, ever youthful, the youthful Rock Lee landed on his toes, body arched gracefully in a flawless _Gōken_ pose. "Gai-sensei, it is I, Rock Lee, who will vanquish this unyouthful foe with the Power of Youth!"

~/~/~/~

_Bakas. Just who are these people?_

First, this guy in green spandex bursts through her ice fortress and proceeds to attempted to kick her (he fails), and then a _mini-_green-spandex-guy bursts in and proceeds to actually _successfully_ kick her. And then the mini-spandex-guy, apparently going by the ludicrous nameof _Rock Lee_, treads off on some tangent about the Power of Youth to his beloved _Gai-sensei._

_You just said it: bakas._

_Will you go away?_

_. . . ._

_Great. Just great._

This is what Kyo was thinking as her body collided, rather uncomfortably, with the wall.

And just what was Deidara grinning about?

The blonde was doubled over, well, as doubled over as you could possibly be when every part of your body is restrained, shaking in silent laughter.

Oh, he was _so_ dead when they got out of this.

She returned her attention to the two spandex-clad idiots who were currently irritating her to the point of wanting to randomly murder someone. Well, not exactly _randomly_. . . .

"_LEE!_"

"_GAI-SENSEI!"_

_Why are they crying?_

"_LEE!_"

"_GAI-SENSEI!"_

_And where'd that sunset come from?_

"_LEE!_"

"_GAI-SENSEI!"_

_Are they _hugging_?_

"_LEE!"_

"_GAI—"_

"SHUT UP!"

Two pairs of unnaturally large eyebrows turned towards her, round eyes still streaming with anime tears.

She face-palmed.

_Bakas._

Then. "How unyouthful."

_I'm going to kill them._

"Yes, the Power of Youth has deserted her."

_Slowly._

"How distressingly unyouthful."

"DIE!"

~/~/~/~

Deidara sighed. "Are you quite done yet?"

"Die! Die! Die!"

"I'll take that as a no." He rolled his eyes, voice laden with sarcasm. "You _do_ realize that we'll be discovered soon, un."

"_Die_ evil spandex!"

"Right, then." _How did she ever survive without me?_

"HA!"

The blonde glanced up to where Kyo stood upon two prone piles of spandex, her face bright with childish glee. "They were great, but spandex is no match for my _hyoton_!"

"So the spandex has been vanquished, un?"

She turned to glower at him. "Do you just _want_ me to leave you here?"

"No, not particularly, un."

"Well, then, _shut up._"

"No, thanks."

Her eye twitched.

A grin traced its way across his battered face. _I've missed this._ "Well, are you going to unseal me or what, un, oh _great_ vanquisher of the spandex?"

Kyo's expression regressed into one of pouting acceptance. "It was _evil!_"

"_Sure_ it was, un."

"Don't mock me!"

"I would never _mock_ you, dear Kyo-kun, un."

"I'm your rescuer, so show some respect, why don't you!"

"Respect's not exactly my thing, un."

"You're mean."

"Don't I know it, un. Eh, Kyo-_chan_?"

". . . .I. Will. Kill. You."

"Yep. Know that, too, un."

"_Gai-sensei, Lee-kun_!"

Kyo's eyes bugged out in momentary fear as she whirled towards the voice. "SPANDEX!"

Deidara hung his head in shame at his companion's antics. His actions were promptly ignored.

The greenette's gaze locked on the three forms standing the doorway, though, and judging by the amount of chakra being emitted, at least two of them were jonin level.

Golden eyes widened slightly as she recognized a chakra signature that she was hoping she wouldn't run into again. A smirk flashed across her lips. "You're the one who stabbed me." It was more of a statement than a question.

One of the figures started, but quickly resumed the emotionless stance that all ANBU eventually adopted. "Yes."

_Female._

"You know that's very impolite. When one stabs another, an apology is customary." Kyo stood there, tapping her foot almost expectantly, arms crossed behind her back.

_Poison._

She could have smelled the stuff from across an arena. It hung around the kunoichi like a fatal perfume, suggesting talents beyond that of the common norm.

The greenette's musings were cut short as a flash of pink and brown knelt beside the defeated piles of spandex.

Kyo's legs slid fluidly beneath her reflexively as she arched her spine, flipping backwards several feet. Without even pausing for a thought, her knuckles cracked, ice shards forming at their tips, before her hands flicked forward in a blur of motion. The now senbon-shaped icicles shot forward at tremendous velocity, heading straight for the now visibly teenage girl kneeling by her fallen spandex-comrades.

"Tenten!"

The greenette hissed as a blur of white shot before her intended target, only for the blur to turn into an orb of swirling, blue chakra.

_J__ūken._

She grinned in recognition of the infamous technique, though the sadistic smirk was all but invisible at her fearsome speed.

Her eyes sparked as a hand flashed towards her, charged from the wrist down with faintly glowing chakra. She twisted down, leveling her hands beneath her before flipping upward, grappling herself to the ceiling with a well-aimed kunai.

With almost childish curiosity, Kyo locked her stare on the blurring figure.

_White._

She dodged another of her attacker's blows, skidding backwards across the ceiling, before flashing to the side with a hiss as several senbon embedded themselves in the concrete centimeters from her head. Her gaze shot towards the other offender, locking on the woman she was really starting to despise.

_Isn't stabbing me enough?_

The female Jonin's body was carved in an elegant throwing posture, back arched forward and knees bent with arms to either side, each hand armed with a dozen senbon. Her fingers flicked forward, the senbon vanishing into barely perceptible streams of silver.

Kyo rolled quickly to one side, only to be cut off by a set of finely-aimed kunai. Before the greenette could completely stop her vector of motion, the tip of one forest-green painted nail brushed the serration of an offending weapon.

"_Keh!_" she barked, surprise written in every line of her face as poison sizzled against her cuticle. A furious hiss escaped her lips as the poison continued to spread, turning the skin a sickly black.

_Kuso._

Her hand scrabbled furtively at the quickly-disappearing unaffected tissue, leaving deep ruts of red that dissolved only seconds later to the spreading disease.

"WATCH OUT!"

The greenette's head shot up at Deidara's frantic voice, coming face-to-face with a white-clothed shinobi.

_Hyuuga._ She noted at the sight of the bulging veins surrounding his eyes.

A growl escaping her lips, her back arched painfully as she dove to avoid the blows of the Hyuuga family's notorious _Jūken _style. The action didn't fully succeed.

Kyo cried out in pain as the shinobi's hand hit the nerve point in her right shoulder, which just happened to be the arm that held the seeping poison of his female companion. Almost immediately, She felt the chakra circulation in the limb cease, along with every shred of feeling.

"Clever." It came out a strangled hiss.

The Hyuuga smirked before delivering a ferocious kick to her abdomen.

Air whistled as it parted for the greenette's prone form, giving barely any cushion as she slammed into the wall. As shards of concrete begin to rain around her, Kyo glanced down at the still spreading poison. It was now up to the elbow and making good-time.

_Chikushou._

Without an ounce of hesitation, the greenette charged her unaffected hand with a mold of chakra, slamming it into the skin just above the sickening disease. Air crackled as ice shot down her arm, completely covering everything below the elbow in moments.

Her breathing slowed for a tense millisecond as her eyes locked on the boundary between the poisonous black and pale peach.

_No movement._

The corners of her lips raised in a seemingly chaste smile.

"DIE!_"_

The greenette's stare locked on the incoming female Jonin, whose fingers were tightly clasped around the hilt of a dangerously glinting katana. Her face had dissolved into one of intense resignation and concentration.

_Know you're place._

_CLANG!_

Deidara shot forward in his chair. "KYO!"


	6. Break a Leg—I Mean Arm

**Title: **Gift of the Outcast

**Author: **KobaltWolf

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Minor language and violence

**Disclaimer: **I in no way own Naruto or any of its subsidiaries

"DIE!_"_

The greenette's stare locked on the incoming female Jonin, whose fingers were tightly clasped around the hilt of a dangerously glinting katana. Her face had dissolved into one of intense resignation and concentration.

_Know you're place._

_CLANG!_

Deidara shot forward in his chair. "KYO!"

And the Jonin's companions just stood there, like the teme they are. Staring with those damn Bambi eyes.

And Deidara screamed.

"What are you _yelling_ about, baka?"

The blonde's mouth closed, abruptly slicing off the sound.

Silence.

His shoulders slumped.

"_Thank_ you. I already have one heck of a headache, I don't need it made worse by you're freakin' screaming."

After a moment, a wry smirk twisted the Akatsuki bomber's lips. "You really have a flair for the dramatic, un, Kyo-_kun_." He glanced back towards the Jonin's two allies.

_Why didn't I notice that before?_

Ice sparkled on their skin, the dancing flashes barely visible in the dank lighting. A few feet away, the Jonin herself was splayed out, her face buried in the dirt and her katana spliced cleanly in half.

"What can I say? I'm an actress at heart." The greenette stepped into his line of vision, a triumphant grin painting her face.

His gaze dragged across her form. "Your arm, un."

"Huh?" The smile promptly faded.

"Your arm. It's black, un."

"Oh, yeah." She sheepishly as she rubbed the back of her head with her good hand. The other flopped limply at her side.

_Dead._

"Stupid baka of a Jonin had some nasty poison on her."

"It stopped spreading, un."

She raised an eyebrow at the serious tone. "Yeah, why?"

"How."

The greenette cocked her head ever so slightly. "Froze it."

He half-smiled. _Hm. She's grown._

"What are you grinning about?"

The blonde started violently as Kyo's curious face filled his vision.

"Gah!" Deidara squeaked as his chair wobbled dangerously, before collapsing backwards. He winced as he prepared to meet the floor.

Then he stopped.

"Smooth."

The blonde slowly opened one eye so as to glower at the smirking girl above him, her hand clasped around his wrist.

"Whatever, un." He snorted, daintily turning his chin away.

_CRASH!_

"_Ow._" Deidara moaned from his place on the ground, rotating his head as if to make sure it was still attached.

Kyo glared down at him. "I think you mean _thank you._"

"Not re—_oomph!_"

The greenette slowly ground the heel of her boot into the Akatsuki member's chest.

"Alright, alright! Arigotou, un."

She grinned and snapped her fingers. "Now _that's_ more like it."

He rolled his eyes.

Kyo knelt beside him, examining the softly pulsing chakra seal on the bottom of the chair. "Hm. Pretty strong. _Fuinjutsu_ master most likely." Concentration marred her face as she traced the glowing design with her index finger. Suddenly, a spooky smile spread over her face. "This might hurt a bit."

Deidara paled. "You wouldn't da—KEH!" The blonde shot into the air as an explosion of orange and blue shot from the hand of his kneeling companion, the energy being immediately absorbed into the suddenly blindingly bright seal. Within a second, the chair was blasted to smithereens, seal and all.

The greenette sheepishly twisted her bottom lip as she glanced around in the resulting dust. "Deidara, you there?"

Then she looked up. "BWA-HA-HA!" She collapsed onto her back, laughing madly, her good hand clutching her stomach.

Deidara was gripping the ceiling with chakra-charged hands and feet. His golden-blonde hair stuck up in a rather unruly fashion and every muscle in his body tensed, pressed to the concrete. All-in-all, he was doing a very good impression of a cat. He moved his head so as to glare at his companion. "Are you done yet, un?"

She held up one finger as she continued to chortle, shaking wildly.

A tick mark appeared on the blonde's forehead, before he sighed with resigned acceptance, dropping to the ground. Stumbling slightly on impact, he leaned against the nearest wall so as to steady himself. "We should move, un."

"Y—y—yeah," she chuckled. "You're right." Her voice had sobered by the end of the sentence. "Do you have any clay?"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, _yeah._ They let me keep my explosive detonating clay while being tortured because they _trusted_ that I wouldn't use it to blow them to freakin' little flaming pieces, un."

Kyo pouted.

"Fine, fine, un. No, I don't have any."

She slouched, muttering some choice words under her breath as she slowly glanced around the room.

A sigh escaped Deidara's lips. "Well?" His voice was impatient.

"I'm thinking!" she snapped, beginning to pace.

The blonde reclined against the wall, contemplating their options. _There's no way she could make it through the wall. She good, but she can't make art. __Door's too risky. Ceiling? Nah, the structural integrity of the place would collapse in an instant. Of course, that would make a pretty amazing explosi—_

"WHERE ARE THOSE FREAKIN' BRATS!"

_. . . .scratch that._

The blonde's head whipped towards the door, instinctively reaching into the tatters of his cloak. _Oh, that's right. My clay's gone. _He flashed a glance towards Kyo. The greenette was in a defensive stance, a kunai clenched between her teeth.

He stared at her dangling, black arm.

_This isn't good. Neither of us are in the condition to fight. Especially not with—_

"THERE YOU ARE!"

The Akatsuki member cringed in spite of himself. Glaring at him from the previously half-destroyed door, stood a rather irritated looking Godaime Hokage, Tsunade.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THIS FREAKIN' PLACE COST, YOU BRAT? I GAVE UP A MONTH'S WORTH OF SAKE JUST TO BUILD THE FREAKIN' THING!"

No, she look downright _murderous._

The greenette's face screwed up as she opened her mouth.

_Close it. Close it. Please close it._

"Just how much sake do you drink? Don't you know it's unhealthy? Pocky is a much better ha—"

"SHUT UP!"

_BOOM!_

The pair barely had time to jump before the floor beneath them was ripped apart. They anchored themselves to the rapidly cracking ceiling, glancing down to where the Hokage stood, her fist buried in the ground and arm still glowing with green chakra.

Kyo turned towards her companion. _Oh._ She mouthed.

He glared.

Then she grinned. Of all the things she could have done, she grinned. She freakin' _grinned._

"Too slow!" The greenette's mocking voice rang through the room as she dropped down the now still floor.

_You've got to be kidding._

Deidara shot her a 'shut-the-heck-up' look. It was promptly ignored.

Kyo plowed on. "I mean, you're one of the _Sannin_ right? I've heard of you! You're supposed to be some super-awesome-kick-butt kunoichi. But," she paused, slowly cocking her head, "all I see is some old, frail, _baa-chan._"

_Oh, she just _had_ to add that._

"DIE!"

The blonde Hokage shot forward, making a beeline for the green-haired kunoichi, fist pulled back and a look of pure anger marring her face.

_She's totally drunk._

_CRACK!_

Deidara's eyes flashed downward, locking on Tsunade form. The Hokage's fist was smashed into the wall. Kyo crouched beneath her, completely unscathed.

_And she's still grinning._

And then the wall exploded.

Shrapnel tore ravenously into the concrete, one particularly large shard burying itself mere millimeters from Deidara's head as he clutched his ringing ears. The blonde's sparking blue eyes widened minutely as several clouds of dust dislodged themselves from the rapidly spreading spider-cracks along the ceiling.

_Kuso._

The Akatsuki member fled to the floor as a tremor shook the building, dodging a spray of pebbles.

Of course, Tsunade, in her drunken, sake-induced state, was completely unaware of the impending danger. Her fists were practically flying as she attempted to annihilate the greenette before her, but the chikushou brat just kept dodging, a sick grin plastered on her face.

"You can do better that that!" the girl mocked, playfully sticking her tongue out.

_BOOM!_

Another wall fell to the Hokage's wrath.

Deidara hissed as several sections of the ceiling collapsed, each one larger than the former. He quickly wove through the shrapnel, eyes darting nervously as wall after wall tumbled to its doom.

_What is that baka doing?_

Kyo was just grinning like a maniac.

_Teme._

Of course, he knew the greenette was slightly insane, but suicidal? Not likely. She was more the type to cause _others_ to become suicidal.

He coughed, eyes watering as dust flew through the air. The corners of his mouth turned up in an ironic smirk as he stumbled, legs wobbling mutinously. _How far the bird has fallen._ The tongues of his hand-mouths nervously swiped their tongues from side-to-side.

_BOOM! BOOM!_

Tremor after tremor shook the underground bunker as each of the Hokage's chakra-charged punches connected with concrete. Kyo blurred with speed, locked in a ferocious dance with Tsunade's rapidly flying fists. Both the girl and the woman seemed oblivious to the collapsing structure.

_Which they are _causing_ to collapse._

He growled under his breath.

_CRACK!_

"GAH!" Deidara shot to the side as a two-ton boulder of concrete and steel crashed just millimeters from his previous position. The blonde was knocked into the wall from the resulting air displacement. A wince crossed his face as the tell-tale sound of a cracking spine echoed through the room.

_Really?_

_BANG!_

He whirled towards the thundering boom, only to hiss as his vision was blinded by a flood of light. As his pupils contracted, he clutched his face blinking rapidly.

_Oh._

He glanced up, a knowing smirk on his face as he stared at the gaping hole that now adorned the chamber's outer-wall. The two opponents had dropped out of sight, though several large _booms_ and a long line of non-story-appropriate swears could still be heard.

_She is smart._

The blonde sprinted forward, charging his leaps with chakra as he attempted to outrun the quickly imploding building.

_Thud!_

Deidara flew from the opening and skidded to a stop. He gripped the ground with an almost maniacal pleasure, fingers uprooting the grass from their furrows.

_Free._

Something whizzed past his face, slicing several of his yellow hair strands in half. His eyes flicked to the side, regarding the offending kunai that had buried itself in the ground a few meters away, blood glinting off it's surface.

_Who's._

"Oh, you're going to pay for that one!"

The Akatsuki member dropped into a crouch at the menace in Kyo's voice. She stood opposite Tsunade, both breathing heavily. However, Tsunade was not streaked with _blood._ The Hokage launched herself forward, visage marred with rage.

_Unfortunate._

The greenette flashed a hand-sign. "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!_"


	7. Don't Poke a Sleeping Dragon

**Title: **Gift of the Outcast

**Author: **KobaltWolf

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Minor language and violence

**Disclaimer: **I in no way own Naruto or any of its subsidiaries

The greenette flashed a hand-sign. "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu!_"

Deidara flicked his eyes towards her, slightly shocked. _When did she learn the Summoning Jutsu?_

_ POOF!_

The tell-tale smoke cloud erupted from Kyo's position, quickly enveloping the surrounding area, including Tsunade.

The blonde Akatsuki had to squint just to see the green glow of the Hokage's chakra-charged fist. As he watched, his eyes widened. The faint glow rammed forward, presumably straight at Kyo. He opened his mouth to shout warning, but—

_CLANG!_

_. . . .what?_

His eyes narrowed as a shadow rose from the ground, seeming to writhe slightly as it shifted upward. It took a tentative step forward. Deidara hissed slightly as the ground beneath him shook.

_Kuso! What the hell did she summon?_

A low growl rumbled through the now partly destroyed streets.

_BOOM!_

Deidara stumbled backwards as the Godaime Hokage shot backwards, slamming one of the many buildings. For a moment, the blonde woman's limp form hung there, suspended, before she slumped unceremoniously to the ground.

His eyes widened, locking back on the smoke clad summoning. Silence reigned for several tense seconds, though, to Deidara, it could have been an hour.

"Well, that's done!" Kyo's voice reverberated through the streets, seemingly chipper to any outside observer. Of course many of those who _would_ have been outside observers were already incapacitated or dead, so it didn't matter much. However, Deidara's blue eyes narrowed at the underlying panting.

"_And _what_ exactly did I finish, gaki?_"

Deidara nearly jumped out of his skin as a low, rumbling voice sounded. And said voice sounded very, _very_ annoyed.

The cloud of smoke slowly dissipated, leaving the blonde to gape at the scene in front of him.

He'd seen toad summonings, building summonings, weapons summonings, mouse summonings, etc. Heck, he'd even seen someone summon a _pencil_ before. But never in his life had he seen _this_ type of summoning.

Sitting with its tail curled around its feet, sat a magnificent, ebony dragon, eyes closed in an evidently pained and annoyed expression. Yeah, that's right. A _dragon_. Not something you see every day.

And Kyo was perched on its head, tapping her good hand against the top of its brow and swinging her legs playfully as she stared down at its shut eyes. "Ah, just a little skirmish I was having."

_That you were_ losing_._ Deidara thought mutinously.

"_A _little_ skirmish? And I suppose I'm a rabbit right?_"

"Ah-ha-ha—ah."

_Idiot._

The creature sighed testily, a vein on its temple pulsing slightly. "_Well?_"

She wet her lips with a quick swipe of her tongue. "There's a perfectly good reason!"

"_Doubtful._"

The greenette promptly ignored the snark. "You see, I was just helping out my buddy Deidara." She pointed down at the blonde who instantly shot her a murderous glare.

_Great._

The dragon's left eye lazily blinked open.

A gasp escaped the blonde's lips as bile bubbled in the back of his throat. _What the. . . ._

Its gaze bored into his very soul, causing the strings of Deidara's heart to twang nervously. Bloodshot veins snaked through the luminescent blue orb where no pupil or iris was visible, rupturing the frightening glow that appeared as lightning. As if that wasn't enough, a dangerous black licked at the edges of the glare, sending icy chills down the Akatsuki member's spine.

_If looks could kill. . . ._

A smirk traced its way across the monster's face, curling the edges of its lips upward to reveal a set of gnarled, yellow teeth the approximate size and shape of carving knives.

Deidara took a cautious step back, tensing his legs to run.

_Like I'd get very far._

"Hey, you t—oh, Kami." Three gazes turned towards the shinobi who stood there, staring at them, knees nearly shaking as he attempted to step back. Not all of the gazes were human.

Before either Deidara or the dragon could move, the man was frozen solid.

A low bark of laughter escaped the towering monstrosity's mouth. "_Well, that was stupid, gaki._"

Deidara blinked, effectively breaking his stare from the ebony creature as he glanced upward at Kyo. The greenette stood there, seemingly dumbstruck for a moment.

"Yes, yes, it was," she mumbled under her breath, so quiet that the blonde had to strain his ears just to pick up a hint the sound. Her knees wobbled dangerously before collapsing in on themselves, sending her toppling to ground, or in this case, a dragon's forehead.

"Kyo, un? _KYO!_" Deidara had never been one for all that caring, friendly, BFF stuff. He actually found it irritating and slightly disturbing. But when his childhood acquaintance simply collapses, and on a dragon's head no less, certain instincts kick in.

The dragon shook its neck and flicked its almost deer-like ears in irritation, growling as Deidara took a cautious step forward.

The blonde immediately froze as the creature stared down at him.

It snorted, almost amused as it examined one of its many sickle-shaped claws. "_Yes?_"

Deidara rolled his tongue around his suddenly dry mouth, careful to keep his gaze from the strikingly neon eyes. _Take it slow. Respect and honor._ Taking a deep breath, he stated in a monotonous voice, "Do I have permission to treat her, un, _Ryuu_-sama?"

It grinned, sending unpleasant shivers down the blonde's spine. "_Oh, I like you. It's a rarity for to find ningen with any respect for their superiors, especially with the gaki of today. However, address me by name. Ryuu-sama is so. . . .stilted._" Its frightening smile grew.

The Akatsuki member swallowed slightly, though otherwise remained unaffected by the disturbing expression. "And what would your name be, _Ryuu_-sama, un?"

"_You may address me as Shichirou-sama._"

The blonde bowed slightly. _Male judging by the name._ "Hai, Shichirou-sama, un."

The dragon did not even attempt to show him the same courtesy. _"Do as you wish, ningen. It's a pain for me to stay here anyway_." He stretched his wings, shadowing the street in darkness. "_But, as you seem to be a rather acceptable ningen, I might warn you that an army of shinobi is approaching. Plus, the strong-woman is stirring._" He chuckled as the blonde Akatsuki paled.

_We don't stand a chance against the Godaime. Heck, right now, a couple of Chuunin could probably take us out._

Deidara trance was broken as Shichirou shook his ebony head, dislodging the unconscious Kyo from her already precarious perch.

"Kuso!" The blonde dove forward, gasping and falling to his knees as Kyo toppled into his arms, her head lolling back dangerously.

_Chakra exhaustion._ Deidara thought as he checked the greenette's pulse.

Shichirou grinned once more as he prepared to return to the place from which he was summoned.

"Wait!"

Slightly startled, he turned a glowing blue eye to where Deidara knelt, panting. The Akatsuki met the monstrosity's gaze, forcing himself not to flinch. "If you leave us here, we'll die, un."

"_Not my problem. In fact, it would actually be a bonus if the gaki died. I wouldn't keep getting woken up during my naps._" The dragon stared almost mournfully at the sky.

_I wouldn't blame him. _Deidara quickly rid his mind of the thought. "But. . ." He quickly scanned his mind for a valid reason for the monster to stay.

"_I don't have all day, ningen._" Shichirou whipped his tail impatiently as he once again turned to leave.

Ignoring the quick jab, Deidara racked his brain, skimming over his experiences with the boisterous greenette. Suddenly, his eyes widened in recognition. _Of course._

"Because without her, nothing's interesting, un," he yelped.

The dragon paused. "_Hm?_"

The blonde continued, the fervency in his voice growing by the second. "Life gets really boring, un. Nothing's new. If she died, what would you do all day, un?"

Shichirou sighed, getting a dreamy look in his neon eyes. "_Nap_."

"And then what, un!" Deidara barked violently, balling his fists until the knuckles turned white. "Nothing, un. That's what!"

The black monster rolled its eyes. At least, that's what Deidara _thought_ it did. It was kind of hard to tell seeing as Shichirou lacked pupils. "_Look here, ningen. I have a nap to return to and you're annoying me. The last person who annoyed me in such a way was incinerated into an unrecognizable splotch of red._"

"So what? I'll die anyway. Might as well go out with a bang, un!" the blonde spat venomously.

Deidara's rant was thrown off track when the monstrosity grinned abruptly, causing the Akatsuki member to rethink his previous statement. "_Fine._"

The blonde's mouth dropped, arms hanging limply at his sides as he struggled to come up with an articulate retort. "Huh?" Not the quality response he hoped for.

Shichirou flicked his tail in irritation. "_I'm already here. And besides, without the gaki, I'd have no stories to tell at taverns._"

"Wait. Ryuu have taverns, un?"

"_Of course, what do you _think_ we do when we're not napping? Baka ningen,_" the dragon muttered, eyeing the crouching Deidara almost suspiciously. "_Well? Hurry up! I have a nap to return to. Plus, the strong woman woke up._"

The blood drained from the blonde's face as he slowly turned.

"_Gah._" Something groaned from under a heap of rubble, and, slowly but surely, Tsunade rose to her knees. "What the hell." Her stare rested upon the monstrous 30-foot form of Shichirou, shock clear, but it was quickly distorted by hateful satisfaction as she noticed Deidara crouching over the limp and bruised form of Kyo.

Deidara couldn't exactly blame her. She had every right to be irritated. However, if the Godaime Hokage _was_ irritated, it was best to vacate the surrounding hundred miles.

With great urgency, the blonde took his own advice to heart. Picking Kyo up bridal-style, he ran towards the complacent-looking Shichirou, every step shaking his already battered body to the very bone.

_Just a few more steps._ Though, even if he could reach the dragon, Deidara had no plan about how to get _on_ the dragon. He pushed the discrepancy to the back of his mind.

"GET BACK HERE TEME!"

_Kuso._

Out of the corner of his eye, Deidara watched in despair as Tsunade stood, her fist already glowing ominously.

Shichirou simply snorted, closing his neon eyes in impatience and showing no hint of offering help.

The Hokage paused, glancing between the silent, yet monstrous Ryuu and the fleeing criminals, calculating her chances of success. Her dull gaze sparked at the dragon's show of indifference. "DIE!"

_No._

Deidara's eyes widened in horror as Tsunade leaped towards them, face twisted in rage.

_I won't let you harm us again._

"BAA-CHAN!"

_BOOM! _


	8. How to Ride Your Dragon: For Dummies

**Title: **Gift of the Outcast

**Author: **KobaltWolf

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Minor language and violence

**Disclaimer: **I in no way own Naruto or any of its subsidiaries

Deidara's eyes widened in horror as Tsunade leaped towards them, face twisted in rage.

_I won't let you harm us again._

"BAA-CHAN!"

_BOOM! _

_Nani?_

Deidara glanced up cautiously from his protective hunch over the unconscious Kyo. His pupils dilated.

_Kyuubi!_

The Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko stood in front of them, panting. A bruise was already beginning to form on his left arm, yet he managed to keep both limbs up with Tsunade's punch locked between them.

The blonde Genin's face was twisted in an emotion Deidara didn't quite know what to name.

"Baa-chan, what do you think you're doing?" he growled from between teeth clenched in pain.

The Hokage glared down at him in surprise, shocked into silence. Her lips opened and closed slightly as if to form words that no air would dare to support. "N-Naruto, what are you doing?" she asked, hurt hanging in her raspy voice.

He planted his feet into the ground, ready to go on defense at the slightest movement. "I asked you first, dattebayo."

Tsunade chuckled nervously, attempting to lighten the murderous mood. "Are you really so childish?"

Silence.

The Godaime glanced over the boy whom she had come to think of as a grandson. Then she glanced at Deidara. "I'm trying to protect this village, that's what!"

The Akatsuki member winced at the self-righteous tone. However, she _was_ right. In his opinion, Konoha would be better wiped off the face of the earth. A conscious smirk twisted its way across his face. _Since when did you become so sadistic?_

Tsunade hissed at the grin, taking it to be a sign of pleasure, when it was, in fact, anything but.

"And what did Kyo-san do, dattebayo!"

Naruto's barking voice cut through her thoughts, shocking her once again

"Kyo-san?" _Who's he talking about?_

The blonde Genin's blue eyes narrowed as he nodded sharply at the limp, green-haired form in Deidara's arms.

The Godaime's mouth parted subtly as she puzzled. "How do you. . . .?" The question died in her throat.

"Ichiraku's. She was looking for Pocky." His answer. Short and to the point. Completely unlike him.

Her gaze trailed over him, eyes confused. Why would he betray her just to save some random ninja?

Naruto gave a pained half-smirk as he retracted one hand to flash a hand sign. "Let's just say she reminded me of someone. _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

Tsunade leaped back, skidding slightly on the loose gravel, as dozens of Naruto's popped up before her, all crouched in various defensive stances.

She quickly estimated. _47_._ Why so few? _

Glancing back at the original, her eyes locked with his as pleading flashed through his gaze.

The Godaime smiled, glare softening. _So you want me to put on a good show? Fine._ _ But you totally owe me._

_BOOM!_

The punch was only half-hearted, but that didn't stop it from reducing several buildings to crumbling dust.

Naruto grinned in return. _Arigotou, baa-chan_. Several clones were swallowed by the impact itself, their brethren quickly skipping back, careful to avoid the cracks that laced the ground.

Deidara hissed as he was forced to jump to the side, a large fissure splitting the earth where he had previously crouched. Above his head, Shichirou laughed joyously.

_Baka, Ryuu._

"Well, teme?"

The Akatsuki glanced up at the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki's voice. The younger blonde was glaring at him with hateful eyes.

_He's not saving me._ Deidara realized as he unconsciously glared back. _But just a few well placed bombs and the Kyuubi. . . ._ Another boom shattered the air as Tsunade launched another volley of punches. _Kuso._ His trail of thought disintegrated as he fled towards the snickering Shichirou. He rapidly scaled the dragon's side by using chakra to stick to the scales, ignoring the painful twang of his battered muscles.

Kyo hung limply against his chest as he positioned himself between the Ryuu's shoulder blades, wrapping one arm around her and the other around one of the monster's many back-spines. He opened his mouth to speak to Shichirou, however the dragon needed no such discussion. Deidara nearly bit his tongue off as the Ryuu leaped into the air, whipping out a massive, ebony wingspan at the peak.

Quickly recovering, the blonde glanced down at Naruto and Tsunade where the army of Konoha ninja had finally arrived. _Too late._ "Hey, Kyuubi!" Deidara couldn't resist grinning as Naruto stared up at him in surprise. "Maybe _we_ can play later."

Anger distorted the Genin's face as several of his clones leaped for the long-haired blonde, even though he was already far out of range.

A maniacal chuckle escaped Deidara's lips as his hand-mouths anxiously slid their tongues across their teeth.

_I'm looking forward to it._

_You're so weak! Why not let me take over?_

_No, no! Me!_

_What? I'm by far the strongest._

_ Please don't fight. She's resting._

_Oh, shut up!_

_Yeah, we're offering to _help_ her._

_She needs her rest after all._

_No, no, you don't understand. . . ._

"Kyo? Wake up already, un!"

"Huh!" The green-haired kunoichi shot up, eyes wide, good hand clutching her head.

Deidara sighed testily. "'Bout time, un."

She turned sharply towards him, eyes momentarily frantic before quickly being shaded by her normal, cheerful indifference. "And what's that supposed to mean, _baka_." She dropped her arm back to her side.

He waved his hands in what was meant to be a placating gesture. "Nothing, nothing, un."

Kyo raised a suspicious eyebrow before scanning her surroundings. "SHICHIROU-KUN!"

Deidara nearly choked on air as the kunoichi threw herself against the dragon's neck, hugging it madly.

"I knew you'd help us. You're such a wonderful friend, Shichirou-kun!" She sniffed as anime tears brimmed in her eyes.

"_Gackh! Get off me, gaki!_"

The blonde Akatsuki member anchored himself to one of the dragon's spines as the Ryuu attempted to shake off the pestilence known as Kyo.

". . . .I've missed you so much, Shichirou-kun! Nothing's the same without you. . . ." She continued to rant tearfully.

"_Kami, no! Stop hugging me!_"

Deidara gasped as Shichirou took a nose-dive, tossing his neck to and fro. The blonde had to admit, Kyo would be a great bull rider.

". . . .it's just so lonely without my Shichirou-kun. Life loses all meaning. . . ."

"_Shut up and DIE ALREADY!_"

_CRACK!_

The blonde now had the spike in a death grip as Shichirou attempted to scrape Kyo off against a rather large pine tree. By the time the dragon was in the air once more, both Kyo and Deidara had a _generous_ mouthful of pine needles.

However, this did nothing to hinder Kyo's rant. ". . . .mmm-mmmph mmm-mmphhhhhhh. . . ."

The Akatsuki member attempted to scrape his tongue of pine needles with one hand, but immediately had to grip the spike once more as Shichirou swerved haphazardly to the left, reducing his attempts to spluttering.

"_Why won't you freakin' DIE, GAKI?_"

". . . .but I just love my Shichirou-kun so very much that I. . . ."

"_GAH!_"

_Why me? Why me?_ The mantra repeated itself in Deidara's as he was tossed to and fro. Now, the blonde was used to flying, seeing as his specialty included clay birds, but riding a ticked off dragon? Not really.

". . . .Shichirou-kun would never leave me. Shichirou-kun is far too kind and generous and. . . ."

Suddenly, a disturbing grin crept across the Ryuu's scaly lips, halting Deidara's mantra in its tracks. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. He didn't like that grin. Not one bit.

Kyo, however, seemed oblivious as she clung tearfully to the Ryuu's neck with one arm.

The neon gaze shifted to Deidara, reproachful irritation clear. Unconsciously, the blonde's shoulders rolled in a subtle shrug as he attempted to avert his gaze to the rapidly passing scenery.

However, to the blonde's horror, Shichirou's serious stare melted into one of maniacal glee and, for a moment, Deidara could have sworn that the dragon's electric blue eyes flashed red.

". . . .and Shichirou-kun is so powerful and awe-inspiringly sweet and. . . ."

The Ryuu's shoulder's tensed as he raised his hands, flickering through a set of hand-signs.

"_Bye, bye. Gaki._"

_POOF!_

Deidara and Kyo stared down at the empty air that was just recently occupied by their ride as they hovered almost cartoonishly.

"Well, crap."

"GAHHHHHHHH!"

"Why do things always have to be _my_ fault?" Kyo pouted as she attempted to extricate herself from her perch in a 30-foot fir tree with rather pointy needles, a very difficult feat seeing as she only had one working arm.

"Because they always _are_ your fault, un!" Deidara growled. He slammed his feet against the hazel branch that was trapping him against a blackberry bush. He winced slightly as one of the bush's vines managed to wrap itself around his left arm. _Oh, she is _so_ dead when I get out of here._

"But I was just saying hello to my Shichirou-kun! Is that really so wrong?" She tipped her head backwards so as to stare pitifully at the struggling blonde several meters beneath her.

"Yes, un. When you try to strangle your _Shichirou-kun_, it's WRONG."

She stuck her tongue out. "You're so _mean_ Deidara-baka. I was just trying to—AHHH!"

_Well, at least she's out of the tree. . . ._

"GACKHH!"

. . . .a_nd into my gut._

"KEH!" Deidara started forward, eyes bugging out of his skull, as the questionably insane greenette rammed into his chest. Something cracked.

"Good thing I landed on a cush—"

"I"M NOT A FREAKIN' CUSHION, UN!"

"Oh, hi, Deidara-baka!"

He clenched his teeth. _Deep breaths. In. . . .Out. . . .In. . . .Out. . . ._

Kyo's face dropped into his field of vision, albeit it upside-down. "You alright, Deidara-baka? You look constipated."

Silence.

She cocked her head as Deidara's left eye began to spasm violently.

"I'M GOING TO !#$#%! KILL YOU, UN!"

_What is that idiot doing?_

Tobi stared at the air space above Konoha, where large plumes of smoke were beginning to drift into the otherwise pristine atmosphere. Every few seconds, an explosion would shake the earth, though, this wasn't what perturbed him.

From inside the walls, he could have sworn he heard something growl, a deep, terrifying sound that set even the orange-masked Akatuski member on edge.

Suddenly, something black and twisting rose from the ground.

_That's not clay._

His one eye flicked to the side as the tell-tale sound of rustling paper resounded through the clearing.

"Hey, Konan-chan! What can I do for you?"

Tobi twirled on his feet to face the blue-haired kunoichi just as the last paper sheets solidified into her torso.

Calm, gray eyes locked on his own single, hidden one. "Pein has called a meeting."

"Then shouldn't we wait for Senpai? He'll be back soon!"

"This doesn't concern Deidara."

"I see." Tobi's bubbly personality melted away, leaving the being the most hardened shinobi would cower before. "Pein wishes to speak with me alone, eh?"

Silence

Madara Uchiha smirked under his mask. "Then we should get moving. Correct, Konan-_chan_?"


	9. Why Not to Blow Thyself Up

**Title: **Gift of the Outcast

**Author: **KobaltWolf

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Minor language and violence

**Disclaimer: **I in no way own Naruto or any of its subsidiaries

"So, what now, Deidara-kun?"

The aforementioned blonde glared at her out of the corner of his eye as they trudged along a winding dirt path. Mud had managed to smudge itself across the entireties of their faces as well as caking their hair in a twiggy mess. "Oh, what happened to Deidara-_baka_, un, Kyo-_chan_?"

"So, what now, Deidara-_baka_?"

His eye twitched discreetly. "I don't know. Why don't _you_ come up with something, un?"

She skipped forward, playfully kicking her legs in the air. "Because I'm not _nearly_ as smart as my Deidara-kun!"

He rolled his eyes, hands beginning to twitch as well. "What is it with you and changing honorifics, un? Just freakin' pick one!"

The greenette pouted. "But it's _just _so much fun, Deidara-baka!"

A hiss of annoyance escaped his lips (and by his 'lips', I mean all of them) as he massaged his temples.

Kyo rolled her tongue inside her cheek at the lack of response from her companion. She glanced expectantly at him.

Silence.

"Ummm. . . ." The greenette fidgeted, skipping side to side anxiously.

Silence.

The quiet gnawed at her mind, forcing her to make little twirls every few feet to manage the feeling.

Silence.

Suddenly, the figurative light bulb went off in her green-haired little skull as she asked the most original question in the history of questions: ". . .how are you?"

The blonde abruptly halted, staring at his feet so his face was hidden in the tresses of his golden hair. ". . . .how. . . .am. . . .I. . . .?"

The nervousness returned to his companion's gait as she grunted acknowledgment.

"You. Want to know. How. I. Am?"

Kyo's head bobbed in agreement as she crept closer, eyes wide with curiosity at her partner's sudden change in mood.

"Do you _really_ want to know. How. I. Am?"

His final syllable hung in the air, causing the greenette's eyes to nearly bug out of her skull. She nodded her head furiously.

"Then I will tell you. How. I. Am." He paused.

She stared at him as if he would suddenly spew out some great philosophical book that she could then sell to earn millions upon millions upon millions of—

"_I _JUST NEARLY DIED AT THE HANDS OF SOME IDIOT KONOHA NINJA AND _THEN _GOT THROWN FROM THE SKY BY ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONABLY INSANE SUMMONINGS AND _THEN_ LANDED IN A BLACKBERRY BUSH AND _THEN_ GOT SEVERAL RIBS BROKEN BY YOUR IDIOTIC STUNT AUDITION AND _THEN _TRIED TO BLOW YOU UP BUT ONLY SUCCEEDED IN BLOWING MYSELF UP DUE TO YOUR DAMN ICE SHIELD AND _THEN _GOT PUSHED INTO A POOL OF MUD DUE TO YOUR HYPERACTIVE BOUNCING AND AM _NOW_ BEING ANNOYED BY YOUR FREAKIN' INCESSANT _CURIOSITY_! _THAT'S_ HOW _I_ AM. HOW 'BOUT YOU, UN?"

"I'm absolutely wonderful!"

Silence.

". . . ._teme._"

_BOOM!_

~/~/~/~

"_Mmm-mmm. _You know, it's common sense that one should not blow thyself up."

Deidara's sat with his eye twitching as Kyo shoved her much beloved pocky into her mouth.

"It's just not beneficial for—_oh, this is so dang GOOD!_" The greenette descended upon her foot-high pile of chocolate covered pocky with vengeance, stuffing her cheeks to the point of bursting.

_Lovely._

The blonde eyed his companion critically, his own sticks of pocky untouched. The greenette had insisted that it was unfair for her to '_be blessed by the wonderfully delicate delicacy that is pocky-sama_' while he remained tragically pockyless.

He far preferred dango.

". . . ._mmm_. . . .so what were you doing in Konoha anyway?"

Deidara started at the sound of her voice, slamming his knee against the bottom of the table in the process. The knee had also happened to be already severely bruised due to a certain greenette slamming unceremoniously into his gut a few hours previous.

"GAH!"

Kyo grimaced through her pocky as the blonde clutched his knee, spouting curses that made the mothers in the restaurant cover their own ears. Forget the kids.

". . . .$#%#!#!#!#$#$#%^!#%!#!%. . . ."

The greenette calmly gnawed on her pocky as he continued to spout profanities.

". . . .$%#!##%!#!##%^#!%. . . ."

She began to hum.

". . . .$&!#%!##^&%$^. . . ."

". . . .s_omewhere over the rainbow. . . ._"

". . . .#%#!^$%#!&. . . ."

Finally, the cursing festival began to die down, becoming a mere under-his-breath babble of words not fit to be put in this account.

She chewed serenely on her pocky. "Well?"

Deidara glanced around them. Mothers were glaring daggers at the pair from all angles, clutching their now wide-eyed children to their breasts. . . .the blonde returned the glowers with vengeance.

He turned back to Kyo, choosing that moment to pick up his pocky and down it whole.

They stared at each other in silence, each slowly chewing on their respective snacks.

"_Well_?"

"None of your business, un."

Kyo looked slightly taken-back at her companion's bitter response, before hissing under her breath and leaning forward.

_BAM!_

Deidara blinked in surprise as she slammed her hand against the table, dropping her precious pocky in the process.

"_Baka!_" she spat. "Of course it's my business!"

Now it was Deidara's turn to look taken-back. Indignation flashed across his face as he opened his mouth to issue a biting reply, but the greenette beat him to it.

"_You_ left in the middle of the night and left _me_ to clean up the mess! Do you know how much I had to go through? ANBU! They questioned me. Hell, they nearly _tortured_ me!" She was on her feet. "The damn landlord kicked me out of our apartment because Onoki-baka wouldn't pay for me because _I'm_ just a misfit _freak_, not some genius kid with an awesome kekkai-genkai!"

The burning stares of the restaurant's other occupants bore down crushingly on the pair, but neither cared. They were insignificant, mere flies to be crushed.

Deidara gawked at her for a moment, before leaping to his feet as well. "Oh, like _my_ life was all that great, un! My parents died when I was two years old in a sabotage of the Iwagakure patrols. No one was there to protect me. No one could stop the mobs! They _raided_ my parent's _house, _and then set in on freakin'_ fire_! But _no_, they couldn't stop there, un. I was hunted by angry villagers for four years of my _life!_"

The greenette put one foot on the table. "Well, boo-hoo for you! At least people _noticed _you. I was _invisible_. No one recognized me. I never even _knew_ my parents and it's not like anyone would ever _tell_ me about them! I was just some cast-away, street _freak._ No money. No home. No _nothing._"

The Akatsuki member leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. "I'd have rather been _shunned _than _assaulted, _un."

A snarl escaped her lips. "People looked at me like I was just a waste of space! I was a stain on their shoes. And even though no one said anything, I knew it. I _knew_ that they were imagining ripping me to little shreds on the inside."

"Oh, you _knew_ it, un? Well, that makes it _all—_"

"Oi!"

The two were nearly nose to nose, each glaring at the other with an emotion akin to hate, when the shopkeeper interrupted.

He stood at the head of their table, calloused hands on his hips and eyes sparking with irritation. "Now, I don't know what the _hell_ is going on with you two, but will you please take it the heck _outta my restaurant!_"

The pair didn't look at him, neither willing to back down, until Kyo snorted, narrowing her eyes, and forcing herself to stand straight. "Certainly, _sir._" Her words dripped with venom as she stared down at Deidara's furious countenance. "We should be finding an inn anyway, eh, Deidara-_kun_?"

With that, she turned and nimbly leapt off the table, turning her back on the blonde.

And Deidara could have sworn he heard her voice crack.

~/~/~/~

Life wasn't easy.

It never had been and most likely never would.

That was just a fact that every war-orphan knew.

And yet, this one bump in the figurative road caused Deidara to feel like someone had shred his insides in their entirety.

The blonde lay on his mat with his back facing Kyo, and, though she was not in range of his view, he knew that the greenette was fast asleep. Her breaths were deep and calm. In and out. In and out. In and out. . . .

Oh, how he envied her!

His grip on the edge of the mat tightened.

To be able to escape reality, just like that? It would make his whole freakin' life so much easier! But, sadly, it was not one of his gifts.

_How could I say those things?_

Regret raced through his mind, regret that he just wanted to go away. He and Kyo had never been _likely_ friends, but they always were. You know? One got beat up, the other jumped in to help. (Of course, they got beaten up too.) One got captured, the other tried to rescue them. (Of course, they got captured too.) It was just the way of the world.

They teased. They bickered. Heck, they even tried to blow each other up regularly! But something like this?

Never.

That wasn't how the world worked.

The blonde clutched his tired head with one hand.

And Deidara just wished it would go away!


	10. The Quest for the Holey Arm Begins

**Title: **Gift of the Outcast

**Author: **KobaltWolf

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **Minor language and violence

**Disclaimer: **I in no way own Naruto or any of its subsidiaries

_Hello, peoples! So sorry it took me so long to get this out. I've been procrastinating. :P Life's currently trying to elbow me in the gut, especially with the end of school coming up and all. Anyways, I finally got it out! And I just wanted to give a shout-out to everyone's who has reviewed this story: special thanks to Echo Uchiha, UchihaHanna, BlazingXDarkness, and MatsuoChiharu. And everyone else. . .REVIEW._

Apologizing had never come easily to Kyo. She was the kind of person who would ride out the aftershocks of a disagreement until the other person would come to _her._ And then, and only then, would she admit that she had done anything wrong.

But in this one instance, she felt like crap. A big pile of extremely apologetic crap.

Sunlight filtered into her and Deidara's shared hotel room. Their backs were still facing away from each other, and their mats were still placed on opposite sides of the space.

Both were awake, and both knew the other was awake, but neither was willing to make the first move.

They just lay there.

Apologetic.

And even _though_ she felt like a big pile of apologetic crap, Kyo wouldn't give in. This was Deidara's fault and he knew it.

Her fingers twitched at the lack of sound, but she stood firm.

It was only a matter of time before he cracked.

Deidara stared out the window, gaze wandering to the side every so often in a futile attempt to see if Kyo had moved.

She was awake.

He knew it.

She most definitely knew it.

So there.

Yeah, he felt sorry, but if he were to show such a feeling, he would never hear the end of it.

His blue eyes narrowed.

Besides, the silence was probably killing her. She'd explode soon. Just like his art.

Now, most people may not know this, but maids in the shinobi lands were horribly underpaid for the work they did. I mean, sure they were paid well for the maid part itself, but the things they found? The things they walked in on? Not a chance.

Keiko was a simple woman. She worked hard as a hotel-maid and made a suitable living for herself and her unemployed husband. And, as a hotel-maid, she'd seen absolutely _everything_, most of which was stuff that she actually never wanted to see.

There was one time where she walked in on two green-spandex-wearing men hugging and crying in front of a sunset backdrop and, to this day, she had absolutely no idea where that thing had come from.

Oh! And there was another time where she accidentally walked in on a white-haired dude who was attempting to slash down a red-head girl with what appeared to be a giant carving knife while being watched calmly by some guy with hair that put a duck's-butt to shame and another man who was so freakin' tall that his bright orange hair brushed the ceiling. The the duck-butt haired guy's eyes turned red and the white-head screamed and sprinted towards the window. Keiko closed the door.

Another instance worth mentioning was when she walked in on a pair of men who were arguing rather loudly. This is worth mentioning because one of the men was on the floor with his body impaled by a three-bladed scythe while his silver-haired head was rolling on the floor a few feet away. . . .still arguing. She had quickly closed the door on that one as well as removing tomato juice and red salsa from all her grocery lists.

But jobs were hard to find and, with her husband unemployed, she had to put the bread on the table. So, here she was, standing outside the door of room 137 with her cart of maid-tools, ready to face whatever this dang hotel had to throw at her.

With something akin to reverence, Keiko cautiously slid the bamboo door open.

"YOU %#!$#! APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT YOU DID!"

"OH, FOR WHAT _I_ DID? IT WAS ALL YOUR FAULT, UN!"

"I WAS JUST ASKING WHAT YOU WERE DOING! WHY WON'T YOU EVER TELL ME ANYTHING WHEN I'M JUST TRYING TO GET INVOLVED IN YOUR LIFE?"

"I DON'T _WANT_ YOU INVOLVED IN MY LIFE! IT'S _MY_ LIFE, UN!"

"I RAISED YOU! I DESERVE RESPECT AND A CHANCE TO BE INVOLVED IN MY CHILD'S LIFE!"

"I'M NOT YOUR CHILD, UN!"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT! NOW APOLOGIZE!"

"NOT IN A MILLION YEARS, UN!"

"Fine. KUCHIYOSE NO JUTSU!"

"_RAWR!_"

"WHAT THE $%#, UN? IS THAT A DRAGON?"

"ATTACK!"

"_GAH! _KATSU, UN!"

_BOOM!_

"TAKE THAT YOU—"

Keiko calmly closed the door, and, as she turned towards the next room, she sighed. She was _so_ demanding a raise.

Deidara and Kyo trudged along the dirt road, each pointedly looking away.

The hotel manager had not exactly welcomed the pair's little '_scuffle_'. So now, here they were, hungry and battered and hungry. Did I mention hungry?

The greenette gnawed on her lip and nervously cracked her knuckles (well, the knuckles on her good hand.) Her eyes shot to the left as if searching out some shred of noise. Why did everything have to be so freakin' silent!

Deidara glanced over at his anxious companion, unintentionally catching her golden eye.

"Well. . . ." The greenette began as she locked onto his gaze, refusing to flinch in the slightest.

"What now, un?"

The blonde's cold, yet reassuringly harsh question cut through the noon-time air.

Her lips turned upward in a slight smile, and she turned to stare forward, rubbing her good arm across her tensed neck muscles.

_What to say, what to say. . . ._

_Answer him already. It's impolite not to._

_Will you shut up? Both of you are so freakin' annoying._

_Aw, don't be such a stick in the mud!_

_Why you little—_

"—Kyo-kun, Kyo!"

"Ah!" The greenette started as Deidara's face came into view, causing her to skid backwards at the sudden interruption, her hand flashing instinctively to her side for her kunai pouch—

"What the hell are you doing, un!"

Her hand paused as the blonde's voice jarred its concentration.

Deidara wasted no time. In the millisecond after her focus-lapse, the blonde had pinned the greenette to a nearby tree with her good hand pinned above her head and her legs immobile against the scratching bark.

Golden eyes blinked as they met with furious blue ones.

"What the hell, Kyo, un!" he snarled as he pressed her harder to the trunk.

"Huh—wha'?" The greenette glanced up at her taller companion, confusion written on her face. She attempted to move from the uncomfortable position she found herself in, only to find her limbs immobile. "What happened?"

"What happened, un? What _happened_? You just tried to freakin' _attack_ me!"

Her brow puckered. "I did?"

The blonde snarled. "Yeah, ya' did, un!"

A grin of cheeriness threw the Akatsuki member's rant off track. "I must of spaced out, then!" Just like it was the plainest thing in the world, which to her it probably was.

He stared at her.

"Now, would you mind letting me go, Deidara-_kun_?" Kyo fidgeted in clear discomfort as she eyed the elbow placed precariously at her throat, a pout replacing the previous smile.

Deidara snorted, cautiously stepping back. However, his stance did nothing to relax itself and even jumped subtly as the greenette fell forward in an attempt to regain her balance.

After achieving some medium of balance and straightening her clothes, she stood to face her companion. "Well isn't it obvious? I need an arm don't I?"

While the blonde certainly wasn't slow or dense, he was an S-ranked missing-nin after all, her statement held no sense whatsoever. "And this is relevant, _how,_ un?" To his knowledge, they didn't import replacement parts from the Big House up in the Sky.

Her face screwed up in contemplation. Abruptly, she snapped her fingers. "Ah!"

Deidara raised an eyebrow, biting the inside of his cheek. "_Ah_ what, un?"

However, Kyo was far from listening to her companion as she suddenly started twirling joyously around the path. "Oh, this is so wonderful!" She clasped her good hand to her heart as she beamed at the sky.

Deidara got the feeling she wasn't talking to him and took an unconscious step back.

"I'll get to introduce you to everyone and we'll get to play so many fun games and Onee-chan will bake us her special cookies and. . . ." The greenette's face was wound in the expression of a toddler who had just been informed that they would be getting a candy store for their birthday.

And it really concerned the blonde.

And I mean _really _concerned, because when Kyo gets happy, bad things happen.

_Very_ bad things.

_Teme._

Deidara glared at Kyo out of the corner of his eye as he reclined against the wall next to the window of the pair's shared motel room.

The greenette was sprawled across her futon, eyes obnoxiously darting back and forth as she examined their room. Every few seconds, she would switch positions. Side. Back. Stomach. Side again. Diagonal. Etc.

Why couldn't she just _sit still_!

He snorted and unconsciously twitched his fingers in annoyance.

_Deep breaths._

His advice, while wise, was surprisingly hard to abide by. Kyo had a talent for driving people over the edge (kind of like she herself was.)

_One truly does blurt out the truth when not thinking, no?_

The blonde smirked, though it quickly reverted to annoyance once more.

The gaki had dragged him to this stupid hotel, refusing to answer his inquiries about _why_ and _where_ they were going. She insisted that it should be a surprise. However, based on their current trajectory, he had surmised that their destination was Kaminari no Kuni or one of the surrounding, smaller nations. And, seeing as Kaminari no Kuni's shinobi village, Kumogakure, was one of the most militarized and crime free settlements in all five great shinobi nations, he had narrowed it down to one of the smaller countries. (They'd be dead in under a millisecond if they stepped anywhere _near_ Kumo.)

So that left Yu no Kuni and Shimo no Kuni, both of which were more demilitarized than their less-than-benevolent neighbor. Of the pair, Yu no Kuni had more of a reputation for missing-nin. After all, Hidan had originated from the nation's shinobi village, Yugakure. However, Yugakure had, after Hidan's defection almost demilitarized completely, leaving a collection of farmers and merchants. Not a prime location for Kyo.

So that left Shimo no Kuni.

Deidara's brow puckered.

He knew little about the land other than the name of its shinobi village, Shimogakure. The village was known to be rather secretive and wasn't a very impressive force in the shinobi world. Every once in a while you'd hear of some C- or B-rank mission completed by a couple of their shinobi. Nothing remarkable. They had remained neutral throughout the Great Shinobi Wars, never taking a side and rarely becoming an unintended battle-ground due to their remote location. By comparison to its neighbors, it was a far more likely destination, however unlikely it was over all.

A sigh escaped his slightly parted lips.

"You alright, Deidara-kun?"

He glanced over at the curious greenette. "Hai. Just tired, un."

Her mouth quirked suspiciously, yet she made no comment. "Hm. Well, I'm going to bed." And with that she unceremoniously flopped to her side, her back to the blonde, and promptly started snoring.

He rolled his eyes, turning back to face the window. "I'll be outside, un," he muttered to no one in particular as he slid open the glass pane. Taking no hesitation, the Akatsuki bomber leaped from their second story balcony, silently rolling on the balls of his feet as he landed effortlessly on the dew-laden grass of outer Hi no Kuni.

Slowly standing, Deidara gazed at his surroundings before purposefully striding into the nearby forest. Every few seconds, the blonde would pause, allowing silence to return to the wood, before marching onwards in a slightly different trajectory.

Finally, the tell-tale rumbling of a distant river greeted his ears. A grin etched itself on his visage and he quickened his pace. Gradually, the sound grew until it became a dull roar, pounding at the blonde's eardrums. Though, he took no notice, his hearing already accustomed to far louder noises.

Deidara skidded to a halt as the ground dropped abruptly away at his feet. Staring down at the water-carved ravine, his grin grew as he spotted the tell-tale gray streak at the base of the opposite wall. Focusing chakra to his feet, the blonde leaped from his perch, doing a flip mid-air so as to maximize distance, and touched down on the water, seemingly unperturbed by the rapids beneath his feet.

He snorted in quiet disdain as he noticed his target several feet away. Prolonged torture truly did take a toll on your skills.

Quickly readjusting his position, the blonde raised one hand to trail across the glistening gray streak. Sure enough, it did not disappoint.

"Oh, how I've missed you my friend, un." His eyes widened in what could only be described as joy as his hand-mouth chomped down on the naturally occurring clay layer.

After a few moments, however, a grimace fluttered across his face. "Gritty. How inartistic, no? I'll have to fix that, un." Nonetheless, his hand continued to chew, the blonde artist waiting with patient irritation.

"Finally," he muttered as a gray glob was spat into his hand. Closing his palm around the still-wet substance, he began to massage it with his digits. After a minute, his fingers unfurled, revealing a perfectly shaped, miniature falcon. A slightly deranged smile appeared as he stared down at his latest work.

And what a lovely work it was, especially for having been created with such inferior materials.

Slowly, almost reverently, the blonde raised his index finger to the bird's back and began to trace the characters of a message, using a code exclusive to the Akatsuki. His eyes widened in glee as he finished. The code had no key. It was uncrackable, learnable only by pure memory. It was impervious to outward spies. A true mark of the Akatsuki.

"Katsu!" With a single hand-sign, the bird sprang to life, wasting time only to glance around at its surroundings before it sprung into the air, catching a breeze on outstretched clay wings.

Deidara grinned as he watched his art soar away until it was reduced to a tiny white speck in the distance. Now, hopefully, he'd make use of some well-deserved vacation time to spend a few days with a 'childhood acquaintance.' Though, there was the fact that the Akatsuki didn't _have_ vacation time. . . .

_Oh, well._

Shrugging off the traitorous thoughts, he turned back to the layer of clay embedded in the water-worn rock. And, as he reached out his hands, the grin returned.

His art couldn't wait.


End file.
